CVE-2026-13464 in Kirki Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/24/2026
The Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 6.0.14 via the 'context' parameter due to missing validation on a user controlled key. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read the full title, content, and excerpt of any WordPress post — including drafts, pending, privately published, password-protected, and trashed posts — regardless of author, by supplying an arbitrary post ID via the context parameter alongside an attacker-controlled block template.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2026
The vulnerability identified in the Kirki plugin represents a critical Insecure Direct Object Reference flaw that fundamentally undermines WordPress content security mechanisms. This issue affects all versions up to and including 6.0.14 and stems from insufficient validation of user-controlled input parameters, specifically the 'context' parameter that governs how content is retrieved and displayed within the customizer interface. The flaw operates by allowing unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the block template system through crafted post IDs, bypassing normal WordPress access controls and permissions structures that typically protect sensitive content including drafts, pending revisions, privately published posts, password-protected content, and trashed items.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the plugin's failure to validate or sanitize the context parameter before using it to fetch WordPress post data. When an attacker supplies an arbitrary post ID through the vulnerable parameter alongside a custom block template, the system retrieves and displays the complete post metadata including title, content, and excerpt without performing proper authentication checks or authorization validations. This represents a direct violation of standard security principles where object references should be properly validated against user permissions before data access is granted. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to perform unauthorized content enumeration and extraction across all post types regardless of their publication status or access restrictions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with comprehensive access to unpublished and protected WordPress content. This includes draft posts that may contain sensitive business information, internal communications, upcoming product announcements, or strategic plans that have not yet been published. The ability to access password-protected content means that attackers can potentially compromise corporate secrets, intellectual property, or confidential communications that should remain private until official release. Additionally, the vulnerability enables attackers to discover and extract content from trashed posts, potentially recovering deleted information or identifying previously published content that was thought to be permanently removed.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-639 (Insecure Direct Object Reference) which classifies it as a critical access control weakness. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) and potentially T1566 (Phishing) if attackers use the stolen information for social engineering purposes. Organizations using affected versions of the Kirki plugin should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest patched version, implementing network-level restrictions on plugin endpoints, and conducting thorough security audits of their WordPress installations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in web applications, particularly those handling user-generated content or administrative functions within content management systems.