dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2026-4666

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The wpForo Forum plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to the use of `extract($args, EXTR_OVERWRITE)` on user-controlled input in the `edit()` method of `classes/Posts.php` in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.16. The `post_edit` action handler in `Actions.php` passes `$_REQUEST['post']` directly to `Posts::edit()`, which calls `extract($args, EXTR_OVERWRITE)`. An attacker can inject `post[guestposting]=1` to overwrite the local `$guestposting` variable, causing the entire permission check block to be skipped. The nonce check uses a hardcoded `wpforo_verify_form` action shared across all 8 forum templates, so any user who can view any forum page obtains a valid nonce. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to edit the title, body, name, and email fields of any forum post, including posts in private forums, admin posts, and moderator posts. Content passes through `wpforo_kses()` which strips JavaScript but allows rich HTML.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The wpForo Forum plugin uses extract($args, EXTR_OVERWRITE) in the Posts::edit() method, allowing attackers to inject post[guestposting]=1 via $_REQUEST['post'] to overwrite the local $guestposting variable and bypass permission checks. Combined with a hardcoded nonce (wpforo_verify_form) that is accessible to any forum viewer, authenticated users with Subscriber-level access can edit any forum post including private, admin, and moderator posts.

MitigationUpdate wpForo Forum to the latest version and implement strict input validation with allowlist-based sanitization to prevent variable injection via extract(). Consider implementing per-form unique nonces.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify wpForo Forum plugin is installed
    Locate the wpForo plugin in the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/wpforo) and identify the main plugin file to confirm installation
    Affected if wpForo Forum plugin is present in the WordPress installation
  2. Determine installed wpForo version
    Open the main wpForo plugin file (typically wpforo.php) and read the Version field from the plugin header comment
    Affected if The installed version is older than the patched version
  3. Identify the Posts class and edit() method
    Search for the Posts class file within the wpForo plugin structure and locate the edit() method
    Affected if The Posts::edit() method exists in the plugin
  4. Check for vulnerable extract() usage
    Within the Posts::edit() method, search for the pattern extract($args, EXTR_OVERWRITE) which allows variable injection
    Affected if The code contains extract($args, EXTR_OVERWRITE) in the Posts::edit() method
  5. Check for hardcoded nonce
    Search the plugin files for the string wpforo_verify_form to identify the hardcoded nonce used in the edit functionality
    Affected if The hardcoded nonce wpforo_verify_form is present and accessible to any forum viewer

If wpForo Forum is installed and the vulnerable extract() pattern with EXTR_OVERWRITE exists in the Posts::edit() method combined with the hardcoded nonce, the environment is affected by this CVE.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update wpForo Forum to the latest version and implement strict input validation with allowlist-based sanitization to prevent variable injection via extract(). Consider implementing per-form unique nonces.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.4.17

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the wpForo Forum plugin
  4. Check the current version is 2.4.16 or below
  5. Click 'Update Now' to install the latest version (2.4.17 or later)
  6. After updating, verify the version number in the plugins list confirms the update to 2.4.17 or higher
  7. Test that forum post editing works correctly for authorized users
  8. Confirm that unauthorized post modification is no longer possible

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-4666 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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