CVE-2026-85655
Enable Media Replace <= 4.2.2 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Author+) Post Content Modification via Media Replacement Workflow
The Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to modify the post_content of any published post referencing the replaced media — including Administrator-owned posts — making changes immediately visible to unauthenticated visitors. The doReplaceQuery() method performs a database-wide search-and-replace across all posts containing the old media URL without any per-post capability check, meaning a single Author-triggered request can silently overwrite a large number of posts that WordPress's standard admin UI and REST API would otherwise forbid that user from editing.
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
Enable Media Replace <= 4.2.2 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Author+) Post Content Modification via Media Replacement Workflow
The Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to modify the post_content of any published post referencing the replaced media — including Administrator-owned posts — making changes immediately visible to unauthenticated visitors. The doReplaceQuery() method performs a database-wide search-and-replace across all posts containing the old media URL without any per-post capability check, meaning a single Author-triggered request can silently overwrite a large number of posts that WordPress's standard admin UI and REST API would otherwise forbid that user from editing.
- Record
CVE-2026-85655- 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-2026-111819
4.3
The Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to modify the post_content of any published post referencing the replaced media — including Administrator-owned posts — making changes immediately visible to unauthenticated visitors. The doReplaceQuery() method performs a database-wide search-and-replace across all posts containing the old media URL without any per-post capability check, meaning a single Author-triggered request can silently overwrite a large number of posts that WordPress's standard admin UI and REST API would otherwise forbid that user from editing.
- Record
EUVD-2026-111819- 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-582x-674x-hc38
4.3
The Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all...
The Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to modify the post_content of any published post referencing the replaced media — including Administrator-owned posts — making changes immediately visible to unauthenticated visitors. The doReplaceQuery() method performs a database-wide search-and-replace across all posts containing the old media URL without any per-post capability check, meaning a single Author-triggered request can silently overwrite a large number of posts that WordPress's standard admin UI and REST API would otherwise forbid that user from editing.
- Record
GHSA-582x-674x-hc38- 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 Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to modify the post_content of any published post referencing the replaced media — including Administrator-owned posts — making changes immediately visible to unauthenticated visitors. The doReplaceQuery() method performs a database-wide search-and-replace across all posts containing the old media URL without any per-post capability check, meaning a single Author-triggered request can silently overwrite a large number of posts that WordPress's standard admin UI and REST API would otherwise forbid that user from editing.
- Record
CVE-2026-85655- 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
- 2026-11-05
OSV
4.3
Enable Media Replace <= 4.2.2 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Author+) Post Content Modification via Media Replacement Workflow
The Enable Media Replace plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to modify the post_content of any published post referencing the replaced media — including Administrator-owned posts — making changes immediately visible to unauthenticated visitors. The doReplaceQuery() method performs a database-wide search-and-replace across all posts containing the old media URL without any per-post capability check, meaning a single Author-triggered request can silently overwrite a large number of posts that WordPress's standard admin UI and REST API would otherwise forbid that user from editing.
- Record
CVE-2026-85655- 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
- 2026-11-05
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | NVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-85655 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.3) in Shortpixel Enable Media Replace, published October 28, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.27%, the 19th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/aff42473-63c6-41ca-8312-058f213e2302?source=cve
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enable-media-replace/tags/4.2.2/build/shortpixel/replacer/src/Replacer.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enable-media-replace/tags/4.2.2/classes/ViewController/UploadViewController.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enable-media-replace/tags/4.2.2/classes/Controller/ReplaceController.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enable-media-replace/tags/4.1.9/build/shortpixel/replacer/src/Replacer.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enable-media-replace/tags/4.1.9/classes/ViewController/UploadViewController.php
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plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enable-media-replace/tags/4.1.9/classes/Controller/ReplaceController.php
github.com/short-pixel-optimizer/enable-media-replace/releases/tag/v4.2.3
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85655
github.com/advisories/GHSA-582x-674x-hc38
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/85xxx/CVE-2026-85655.json