CVE-2026-2301
Post Duplicator <= 3.0.8 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Protected Post Meta Insertion via 'customMetaData' Parameter
The Post Duplicator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary protected post meta insertion in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.8. This is due to the duplicate_post() function in includes/api.php using $wpdb->insert() directly to the wp_postmeta table instead of WordPress's standard add_post_meta() function, which would call is_protected_meta() to prevent lower-privileged users from setting protected meta keys (those starting with _). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary protected post meta keys such as _wp_page_template, _wp_attached_file, and other sensitive meta keys on duplicated posts via the customMetaData JSON array parameter in the /wp-json/post-duplicator/v1/duplicate-post REST API endpoint.
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
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.3
Post Duplicator <= 3.0.8 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Protected Post Meta Insertion via 'customMetaData' Parameter
The Post Duplicator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary protected post meta insertion in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.8. This is due to the duplicate_post() function in includes/api.php using $wpdb->insert() directly to the wp_postmeta table instead of WordPress's standard add_post_meta() function, which would call is_protected_meta() to prevent lower-privileged users from setting protected meta keys (those starting with _). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary protected post meta keys such as _wp_page_template, _wp_attached_file, and other sensitive meta keys on duplicated posts via the customMetaData JSON array parameter in the /wp-json/post-duplicator/v1/duplicate-post REST API endpoint.
- Record
CVE-2026-2301- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-8521
4.3
The Post Duplicator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary protected post meta insertion in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.8. This is due to the duplicate_post() function in includes/api.php using $wpdb->insert() directly to the wp_postmeta table instead of WordPress's standard add_post_meta() function, which would call is_protected_meta() to prevent lower-privileged users from setting protected meta keys (those starting with _). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary protected post meta keys such as _wp_page_template, _wp_attached_file, and other sensitive meta keys on duplicated posts via the customMetaData JSON array parameter in the /wp-json/post-duplicator/v1/duplicate-post REST API endpoint.
- Record
EUVD-2026-8521- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-wrj5-2cc6-7p8j
4.3
The Post Duplicator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary protected post...
The Post Duplicator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary protected post meta insertion in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.8. This is due to the duplicate_post() function in includes/api.php using $wpdb->insert() directly to the wp_postmeta table instead of WordPress's standard add_post_meta() function, which would call is_protected_meta() to prevent lower-privileged users from setting protected meta keys (those starting with _). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary protected post meta keys such as _wp_page_template, _wp_attached_file, and other sensitive meta keys on duplicated posts via the customMetaData JSON array parameter in the /wp-json/post-duplicator/v1/duplicate-post REST API endpoint.
- Record
GHSA-wrj5-2cc6-7p8j- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.3
The Post Duplicator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized arbitrary protected post meta insertion in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.8. This is due to the duplicate_post() function in includes/api.php using $wpdb->insert() directly to the wp_postmeta table instead of WordPress's standard add_post_meta() function, which would call is_protected_meta() to prevent lower-privileged users from setting protected meta keys (those starting with _). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary protected post meta keys such as _wp_page_template, _wp_attached_file, and other sensitive meta keys on duplicated posts via the customMetaData JSON array parameter in the /wp-json/post-duplicator/v1/duplicate-post REST API endpoint.
- Record
CVE-2026-2301- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-2301 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.3) in Metaphor Creations Post Duplicator, published February 25, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.24%, the 15th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e5c86f72-934c-4f3b-ab2a-65df1490ca8a?source=cve
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/post-duplicator/tags/3.0.6/includes/api.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&new=3463768%40post-duplicator%2Ftrunk&old=3459096%40post-duplicator%2Ftrunk&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-2301
github.com/advisories/GHSA-wrj5-2cc6-7p8j