WordPress Vulnerability Report – March 29, 2023

This week, the total patched and unpatched vulnerabilities may impact well over 8 million WordPress sites. There are 58 plugin vulnerabilities with security patches available, so run those updates if you use these plugins! Additionally, there are 25 plugin vulnerabilities and 1 theme vulnerability with no patch available yet. If you use any of these unpatched plugins or themes, check their vendors’ intentions and progress on a security release. If no patch is forthcoming or a vulnerable plugin or theme has been “closed” (dropped from the WordPress.org repository), you should consider deactivating it in favor of alternative solutions. The release of WordPress 6.2 is due today; more details follow below.

WordPress core is very secure when it’s properly configured and maintained. Vulnerable plugins that have not been updated by site owners are the most common vector for attacks on WordPress websites. Our weekly WordPress Vulnerability Report, powered by Patchstack, covers new WordPress plugin, theme, and core vulnerabilities that have emerged since last week’s report. Our goal is to spread awareness of emerging security threats and help you decide what to do if you are using vulnerable software on your website. For a deeper analysis of recent trends in WordPress vulnerabilities and threat vectors, see our 2022 Annual Vulnerability Report.

WordPress Core News

WordPress 6.1.1 is the current (short-cycle maintenance) release of WordPress core. It is a minor release issued on November 15, 2022. It features 29 bug fixes in Core and 21 bug fixes for the Gutenberg block editor. You can review a summary of the key updates in this release at WordPress.org.

If your WordPress sites have enabled automatic background updates, they should have upgraded to 6.1.1 automatically. You can download WordPress 6.1.1 from WordPress.org, or visit your WordPress Dashboard, click “Updates,” and then click the “Update Now” button, which will appear when any core updates are available. For more information, check out the version 6.1.1 HelpHub documentation page.

WordPress 6.2 is the next major WordPress release, and it’s on track for a March 29, 2023 debut — that’s today — after a brief, one-day delay. As of this writing, 6.2 has not been released yet, but when it is, you may wish to update after testing the new release. The current 6.1 stable release is secure and fully supported. New major releases are usually followed by a maintenance update period when bugs are hunted down, so test your existing site in a staging environment carefully if you are adopting 6.2.

You can learn more about what’s coming in the WordPress 6.2 RC1 release announcement and the WordPress 6.2 Field Guide, as well as our post on the upcoming features for WordPress 6.2.

WordPress Plugin Vulnerabilities with Patches

In this section, you’ll find the most recently disclosed WordPress plugin vulnerabilities that have been fixed with a new release from their authors and maintainers. Please apply the updates if you are affected!

These vulnerabilities have been disclosed and scored for their severity thanks to our friends at Patchstack. Each plugin listing includes the type of vulnerability with its CVE number and CVSS severity rating with links to more technical details. You’ll also see the number of active sites using the plugin and the plugin version release that patches the vulnerability. We start with the most popular plugins, which represent the largest target for attackers.

WordPress Plugin Vulnerabilities – No Known Fix

This section contains plugin vulnerabilities with no known fix. Until a patch is available, you are advised to deactivate the plugin, at minimum, immediately. If there is a high risk of active exploits or the plugin remains unpatched for weeks, you are advised to delete the plugin. You should also delete persistently unpatched plugins the WordPress.org repository has locked and marked “Closed” so they can no longer be downloaded and installed.

WordPress Theme Vulnerabilities

In this section, you’ll find the latest WordPress theme vulnerabilities to be disclosed. You’ll see the same information provided above for vulnerable plugins, and the same advice applies. If a security update exists, install it immediately. If a vulnerability remains unpatched in a theme you are actively using, you will need to find an alternative theme. Deactivate and delete persistently unpatched themes and those that have been “Closed” in the WordPress.org theme repository. If you have a vulnerable theme installed that you are not actively using, simply delete it.