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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2026-16983 Gutentor CVE debrief

The Gutentor WordPress plugin before 4.0.6 exposes a critical vulnerability, allowing any authenticated user with at least the Subscriber role to access plaintext passwords of password-protected posts. This is due to incorrect context restriction on one of its REST endpoints. The CVE record was published on 2026-09-02T06:17:16.547Z. Affected WordPress site administrators should review official advisories, assess exposure, and plan mitigations accordingly. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 4.3 and is classified as MEDIUM severity.

Vendor
Gutentor
Product
Gutentor WordPress plugin
CVSS
MEDIUM 4.3
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-09-02
Original CVE updated
2026-09-03
Advisory published
2026-09-02
Advisory updated
2026-09-03

Who should care

WordPress site administrators using the Gutentor plugin, security teams monitoring for authentication issues, and operators managing affected deployments should be aware of this vulnerability. They should review official advisories, assess exposure, and plan mitigations accordingly. Affected teams must prioritize updates and restrict access to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive content.

Technical summary

The Gutentor WordPress plugin before 4.0.6 exposes plaintext passwords of password-protected posts to any authenticated user with at least the Subscriber role due to incorrect context restriction on a REST endpoint. This allows unauthorized access to sensitive content. The vulnerability has been confirmed by official CVE Program record and NIST NVD detail page.

Defensive priority

Authenticated users with Subscriber role can access plaintext passwords of password-protected posts. Apply updates and restrict access.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply Gutentor plugin updates to version 4.0.6 or later
  • Restrict access to sensitive REST endpoints
  • Monitor for suspicious activity on WordPress sites using Gutentor plugin
  • Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
  • Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The Gutentor WordPress plugin before 4.0.6 does not apply correct context restriction to one of its REST endpoints. Official CVE Program record and NIST NVD detail page confirm vulnerability. Evidence is limited; defenders should verify affected deployments, review official advisories, and monitor for suspicious activity.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-16983 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-16983

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-16983 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16983

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.