CVE-2009-2334
CWE-287Published: July 10, 2009· Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Official Description
wp-admin/admin.php in WordPress and WordPress MU before 2.8.1 does not require administrative authentication to access the configuration of a plugin, which allows remote attackers to specify a configuration file in the page parameter to obtain sensitive information or modify this file, as demonstrated by the (1) collapsing-archives/options.txt, (2) akismet/readme.txt, (3) related-ways-to-take-action/options.php, (4) wp-security-scan/securityscan.php, and (5) wp-ids/ids-admin.php files. NOTE: this can be leveraged for cross-site scripting (XSS) and denial of service.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2009-2334 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2009-2334. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-287): Authentication bypass vulnerabilities allow attackers to access protected resources without valid credentials.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (28)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-287)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2009-2334 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts