CVE-2026-14839 in Mapster Maps Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/01/2026
The Mapster WP Maps WordPress plugin before 1.24.0 does not perform any authorization or post-status check on a public REST endpoint, allowing unauthenticated users to retrieve the title and full content of any post regardless of its status, including unpublished (draft, pending, private, and trashed) posts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2026
The vulnerability in Mapster WP Maps WordPress plugin affects versions prior to 1.24.0 and represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines the fundamental security principles of content management systems. This issue stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper access controls on a public REST API endpoint, creating an unauthorized data disclosure channel that exposes sensitive content to any internet user without authentication requirements. The vulnerability specifically targets WordPress's REST API framework where the plugin exposes functionality that should be restricted to authorized users only.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing authorization check and post-status validation within the plugin's REST endpoint implementation. When a malicious actor makes a request to the vulnerable endpoint, the system returns not only the title but also the complete content of any post regardless of its publication status. This includes draft posts that are typically restricted to administrators and authorized editors, pending review posts that may contain sensitive information, private posts that should remain confidential, and even trashed posts that have been deleted from the main content stream. The absence of proper access control mechanisms means that the plugin fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses appropriate permissions or authorization levels required to view the requested content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it allows attackers to harvest comprehensive content from WordPress installations without any authentication barriers. This capability enables adversaries to systematically enumerate and extract sensitive data including unpublished articles, private communications, draft strategies, and other confidential materials that would normally be protected within a secure content management environment. The vulnerability essentially provides an automated method for harvesting content that could include intellectual property, strategic plans, personal information, or other sensitive material that organizations rely on WordPress to protect. This exposure affects not just the content itself but also the overall integrity and confidentiality of the WordPress installation's data repository.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-284 which addresses improper access control in software applications. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper authentication and authorization controls at the API endpoint level, creating an attack surface that violates fundamental security principles. According to the mitre ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could be categorized under initial access techniques where attackers leverage weak access controls to gain unauthorized information disclosure. Organizations using affected versions of Mapster WP Maps plugin face significant risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in regulated environments where content confidentiality is paramount. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where the system grants excessive access rights to anonymous users who should have no access to unpublished or restricted content.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrade to Mapster WP Maps plugin version 1.24.0 or later, which presumably includes proper authorization checks and post-status validation. Administrators should also conduct thorough security audits of all installed plugins to identify similar authorization flaws, implement network-level restrictions on REST API endpoints where possible, and monitor access logs for suspicious activity patterns related to content enumeration attempts. Additionally, organizations should ensure that their WordPress installations maintain regular update schedules and employ automated patch management processes to minimize exposure to known vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the critical importance of implementing robust access control mechanisms at all levels of application architecture, particularly in API endpoints that handle sensitive data and user content within content management systems.