PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief
CVE-2017-6096 Mail Masta Project CVE debrief
CVE-2017-6096 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in the Mail Masta WordPress plugin 1.0. The issue affects /inc/lists/view-list.php and is triggered through the filter_list GET parameter. NVD rates the flaw at CVSS 7.2 and notes that WordPress admin authentication is required, so exposure is concentrated in environments where plugin admin access is available.
- Vendor
- Mail Masta Project
- Product
- Mail-Masta
- CVSS
- HIGH 7.2
- CISA KEV
- Not listed in stored evidence
- Original CVE published
- 2017-02-21
- Original CVE updated
- 2026-05-13
- Advisory published
- 2017-02-21
- Advisory updated
- 2026-05-13
Who should care
WordPress administrators, site owners, and security teams that still run Mail Masta (mail-masta) plugin 1.0 should treat this as a priority finding, especially on sites where plugin admin access is broadly delegated or poorly monitored.
Technical summary
NVD identifies the weakness as CWE-89 (SQL Injection) in Mail Masta 1.0 for WordPress. The affected component is /inc/lists/view-list.php, with the filter_list GET parameter as the injection point. The published CVSS v3.0 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating network reachability, low attack complexity, required high privileges, and potentially severe impact if exploited through authenticated admin access.
Defensive priority
High
Recommended defensive actions
- Confirm whether Mail Masta 1.0 is installed anywhere in the WordPress estate and document every affected site.
- Remove or replace the plugin if it is no longer required; if it must remain, verify whether a fixed release exists before continuing use.
- Restrict WordPress admin access to the smallest possible group and review privileged accounts tied to the plugin.
- Review web and application logs for unusual requests to /inc/lists/view-list.php and the filter_list parameter.
- Validate database and application integrity after exposure, since the vulnerability can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
- Track the official CVE and NVD records for any later status changes or additional vendor guidance.
Evidence notes
This debrief is based on the supplied NVD record for CVE-2017-6096, published 2017-02-21 and last modified 2026-05-13. The record states that Mail Masta (aka mail-masta) plugin 1.0 for WordPress is affected, with the vulnerable path /inc/lists/view-list.php and GET parameter filter_list. NVD classifies the weakness as CWE-89 and provides the CVSS v3.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The supplied references include the official CVE record, the NVD detail page, and third-party advisory/exploit reference links; no exploit steps are reproduced here.
Sources and references
Verified primary and authoritative sources
-
CVE-2017-6096 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-6096
CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
-
CVE-2017-6096 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-6096
NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.
Supplemental references
-
Mitigation or vendor reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/hamkovic/Mail-Masta-Wordpress-Plugin
[email protected] - Exploit, Third Party Advisory
-
Mitigation or vendor reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8740
[email protected] - Exploit, Third Party Advisory
-
Mitigation or vendor reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41438/
[email protected] - Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
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.