CVE-2026-11977 afthemes CVE debrief

Who should care

WordPress administrators and users with author-level access who use the WP Post Author plugin should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary precautions to prevent exploitation. This includes restricting access to the post list screen for non-admin users, monitoring for suspicious SQL queries and database access attempts, and implementing additional security measures to prevent SQL Injection attacks. The vulnerability can be exploited by authenticated attackers with author-level access, making it a significant concern for WordPress users who have installed the WP Post Author plugin. Additionally, security teams and vulnerability management teams should prioritize this vulnerability and ensure that necessary patches or mitigations are applied. Operators of WordPress platforms and websites using the WP Post Author plugin should also be aware of this vulnerability and take steps to protect their systems. This vulnerability can have a significant impact on the security of WordPress deployments, and users should take immediate action to mitigate the risk. Platform and security teams should review the official advisory and CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance. Compensating controls should be reviewed for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified. Monitoring, detection, and logs should be checked for exposed assets that need extra review. Exceptions should be tracked, and remediated assets should be retested and closed only after evidence is documented. Asset inventory and source tracking should be used to identify and prioritize affected systems. Rollback and change windows should be planned to ensure timely remediation. Vendor patch guidance should be followed to ensure that necessary patches are applied. Exposure review should be conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities and prioritize remediation. Security teams should also review the vulnerability management process to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are identified and addressed in the future. The vulnerability management process should be updated to include additional security measures to prevent SQL Injection attacks. The security team should

Technical summary

The WP Post Author plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to SQL Injection via the 'wpma_metabox_authors_list' parameter in versions up to 3.9.1. This allows authenticated attackers with author-level access to inject SQL queries and extract sensitive information from the database. The exploitation requires a two-step process: an attacker first saves a crafted guest-author token via the wpma_metabox_authors_list parameter during post creation or editing, then triggers the injection when any admin user loads the post list screen at /wp-admin/edit.php. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.5 and a severity of MEDIUM.

Defensive priority

Medium priority due to SQL Injection vulnerability allowing sensitive data extraction.

Recommended defensive actions

• Inventory and verify the WP Post Author plugin version.
• Restrict access to the post list screen for non-admin users.
• Monitor for suspicious SQL queries and database access attempts.
• Implement additional security measures to prevent SQL Injection attacks.
• Review the official advisory or CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance.
• Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.

Evidence notes

The vulnerability exists in the WP Post Author plugin, versions up to 3.9.1. The 'wpma_metabox_authors_list' parameter is vulnerable to SQL Injection due to insufficient escaping and lack of query preparation. This allows attackers to append SQL queries and extract sensitive database information. Exploitation requires a two-step process: saving a crafted guest-author token and triggering the injection on the post list screen.

Official resources