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CVE-2019-20043

WordPress before 5.3.1 allowed an unauthenticated user to make a post sticky through the REST API...

4.3 MediumFix available

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

2.48%Up 0.6 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 4.3

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Record
CVE-2019-20043
CVSS 3.1
4.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Weakness
CWE-269
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Record
CVE-2019-20043
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-10599 No score

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Record
EUVD-2019-10599
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-ppxh-5qq2-77g8 4.3

WordPress before 5.3.1 allowed an unauthenticated user to make a post sticky through the REST API...

WordPress before 5.3.1 allowed an unauthenticated user to make a post sticky through the REST API because of missing access control in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php.

Record
GHSA-ppxh-5qq2-77g8
CVSS 3.1
4.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-269
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 4.3

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Record
CVE-2019-20043
CVSS 3.1
4.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2019-20043 4.3

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2019-20043
CVSS 3.1
4.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2019-20043 4.3

In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2019-20043
CVSS 3.1
4.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
wordpress
Debian:12
before 5.3.2+dfsg1-1
5.3.2+dfsg1-1
wordpress
Debian:13
before 5.3.2+dfsg1-1
5.3.2+dfsg1-1
wordpress
Debian:14
before 5.3.2+dfsg1-1
5.3.2+dfsg1-1
wordpress
Debian:10
From an advisory covering 18 CVEs
before 5.0.4+dfsg1-1+deb10u1, plus listed versions
5.0.4+dfsg1-1
5.0.4+dfsg1-1+deb10u1
wordpress
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
4.3+dfsg-14.3.1+dfsg-14.4+dfsg-14.4.1+dfsg-14.4.2+dfsg-14.4.2+dfsg-1ubuntu1
None known
wordpress
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
4.8.2+dfsg-24.8.3+dfsg-14.9.1+dfsg-14.9.2+dfsg-14.9.4+dfsg-14.9.5+dfsg1-1
None known

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2019-20043 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.3) in Wordpress, published December 27, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.48%, the 84th percentile. Fixed in wordpress 5.3.2+dfsg1-1.

References

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