HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-20043
MEDIUM

CVE-2019-20043

CWE-269Published: December 27, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

4.3
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

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.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-20043 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
WordPress1 product(s)
wordpress
Source: NVD CPE · 3 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46893/trunk
PATCHhttps://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46893/trunk
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1d1d5be7aa94608c04516cac4238e8c22b93c1d9
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-g7rg-hchx-c2gw
ADVISORYhttps://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8
ADVISORYhttps://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/
ADVISORYhttps://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9973
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1d1d5be7aa94608c04516cac4238e8c22b93c1d9
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-g7rg-hchx-c2gw
ADVISORYhttps://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8
ADVISORYhttps://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/
ADVISORYhttps://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9973
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677

All References (16)

→
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46893/trunkPatch
→
https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1d1d5be7aa94608c04516cac4238e8c22b93c1d9Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-g7rg-hchx-c2gwThird Party Advisory
→
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9973Release Notes · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4677Third Party Advisory
→
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/46893/trunkPatch
→
https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1d1d5be7aa94608c04516cac4238e8c22b93c1d9Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-g7rg-hchx-c2gwThird Party Advisory
→
https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2020/Jan/8Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/Release Notes · Vendor Advisory
→
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9973Release Notes · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4599Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-20043
CVSS Score4.3 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-269
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedDec 27, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-269)

CVE-2026-31852
10.0
CVE-2021-1388
10.0
CVE-2024-6240
10.0
CVE-2025-0505
10.0
CVE-2018-4310
10.0
CVE-2020-27655
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2019-20043 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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