Reported vulnerability

Wordpress Core < 5.5 - Unauthorized Password Reset via Interception

Q: Which versions of WordPress are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, before 5.5. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Q: Is a fix available for WordPress?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in WordPress. It lists these fixed versions: 5.5. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Q: Where can I find my installed WordPress version?

In WordPress, open Dashboard > Updates to find your installed WordPress version.

Published 3 May 2017

Updated 15 Feb 2024

CVE-2017-8295

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

Does this affect my version?

Check your installed version against this advisory. This compares the report’s version ranges and does not scan your website.

Wordfence advisory

medium · CVSS 5.9

WordPress up to version 5.5 relies on the Host HTTP header for a password-reset e-mail message, which makes it easier for remote attackers to reset arbitrary passwords by making a crafted wp-login.php?action=lostpassword request and then arranging for this message to bounce or be resent, leading to transmission of the reset key to a mailbox on an attacker-controlled SMTP server. This is related to problematic use of the SERVER_NAME variable in wp-includes/pluggable.php in conjunction with the PHP mail function. Exploitation is not achievable in all cases because it requires at least one of the following: (1) the attacker can prevent the victim from receiving any e-mail messages for an extended period of time (such as 5 days), (2) the victim's e-mail system sends an autoresponse containing the original message, or (3) the victim manually composes a reply containing the original message.

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

WordPress

Software: WordPress Core · wordpress
Affected versions: Start version unspecified, before 5.5
Fix availability: Fix available
Fixed versions: 5.5

Recommended action

Update to version 5.5, or a newer patched version

Further references (1)

wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/254b5dd2-c3d9-45d9-8328-6cc8ef29c9db?source=api-prod

Data sources and licences

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CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

Read licence terms

Source: Wordfence

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Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of WordPress are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, before 5.5. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for WordPress?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in WordPress. It lists these fixed versions: 5.5. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed WordPress version?

In WordPress, open Dashboard > Updates to find your installed WordPress version.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

These reports cover at least one of the same plugins, themes or WordPress core. Check each report’s affected versions separately.

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