CVE-2021-42359
Published: April 11, 2026
Official Description
WP DSGVO Tools (GDPR) <= 3.1.23 had an AJAX action, ‘admin-dismiss-unsubscribe‘, which lacked a capability check and a nonce check and was available to unauthenticated users, and did not check the post type when deleting unsubscription requests. As such, it was possible for an attacker to permanently delete an arbitrary post or page on the site by sending an AJAX request with the “action” parameter set to “admin-dismiss-unsubscribe” and the “id” parameter set to the post to be deleted. Sending such a request would move the post to the trash, and repeating the request would permanently delete the post in question.
Risk Analysis
This vulnerability in WP DSGVO Tools (GDPR) <= 3.1.23 allows unauthenticated users to permanently delete arbitrary posts or pages due to missing capability and nonce checks in an AJAX action. The confirmed exploitation, as noted by its presence in CISA's KEV, makes this a critical data integrity risk.
Active exploitation of this vulnerability has been observed in the wild. An unauthenticated attacker can remotely exploit this flaw by sending crafted AJAX requests.
Update WP DSGVO Tools (GDPR) to a version greater than 3.1.23. Implement robust capability and nonce checks for all AJAX actions in WordPress plugins.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2021-42359 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CISA has added CVE-2021-42359 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
Exploit & PoC Resources
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2021-42359 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1