CVE-2026-19085 in Duplicate Post Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/21/2026
The Duplicate Post WordPress plugin before 1.5.6 does not check that a user may read the content of a post before duplicating it, allowing users with a delegated role to republish another user's password-protected post as publicly readable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2026
The vulnerability identified in versions of the Duplicate Post WordPress plugin prior to 1.5.6 represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines the integrity of content access controls within the WordPress ecosystem. This issue stems from an insufficient check on user permissions during the duplication process, specifically failing to verify whether the initiating user has read access to the source post before creating its copy. In standard WordPress operations, password-protected posts are designed to restrict visibility and editing capabilities to authorized users only. However, this plugin bypasses these restrictions by allowing any authenticated user with a delegated role capable of triggering duplication actions to replicate protected content without validating their right to view it first.
From a technical perspective, the flaw lies in the logic governing the creation of duplicate posts. When a user selects an option to clone or republish a post, the plugin generates a new entry in the database based on the original data structure. The security failure occurs because this process does not invoke the necessary capability checks associated with reading private or password-protected content. Consequently, if a user possesses any role that permits them to access the duplication feature, they can effectively strip away the protective barriers of the original post during replication. The newly created duplicate is typically set as publicly readable by default unless specific configuration settings are altered, thereby exposing sensitive information that was intended to be restricted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations and individuals relying on WordPress for secure content management. Attackers or malicious insiders with low-level privileges can exploit this flaw to exfiltrate confidential data, proprietary information, or personal details contained within password-protected posts. This breach of confidentiality violates the fundamental principle of least privilege, as users are granted access to resources beyond their authorized scope simply by utilizing a legitimate plugin feature. The ability to republish protected content publicly also poses reputational risks and potential legal liabilities depending on the nature of the exposed data.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Management, specifically regarding the failure to enforce proper authorization checks before performing sensitive operations. It is further categorized under CWE-862, Missing Authorization, as the application fails to ensure that a user has the necessary permissions for the action being performed. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this behavior corresponds to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, where an attacker uses legitimate credentials and system features to escalate access or exfiltrate data without triggering typical intrusion detection mechanisms due to the use of authorized actions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate updates to the affected plugin version. Administrators should upgrade Duplicate Post WordPress plugin to version 1.5.6 or later, where the developers have implemented proper permission checks to ensure that users can only duplicate posts they are explicitly allowed to read. In environments where updating is not immediately feasible, temporary workarounds include restricting access to the duplication feature by assigning it exclusively to high-privilege roles such as Administrator, thereby limiting exposure to potential attackers with lower-level accounts. Additionally, regular audits of user permissions and plugin configurations can help identify similar authorization weaknesses across other installed extensions.