How severe is CVE-2019-8942?

CVE-2019-8942 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-8942 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 83% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-8942?

CVE-2019-8942 primarily affects Wordpress. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-8942?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-8942 published?

CVE-2019-8942 was published on 2019-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-8942

CVE-2019-8942 is a high-severity vulnerability in Wordpress with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 83% places it in the 100th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-434.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 83% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-434
Affected product: Wordpress
Published: 2019-02-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1 allows remote code execution because an _wp_attached_file Post Meta entry can be changed to an arbitrary string, such as one ending with a .jpg?file.php substring. An attacker with author privileges can execute arbitrary code by uploading a crafted image containing PHP code in the Exif metadata. Exploitation can leverage CVE-2019-8943.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-8942?: WordPress before 4.9.9 and 5.x before 5.0.1 allows remote code execution because an _wp_attached_file Post Meta entry can be changed to an arbitrary string, such as one ending with a .jpg?file.php substring. An attacker with author privileges can execute arbitrary code by uploading a crafted image containing PHP code in the Exif metadata. Exploitation can leverage CVE-2019-8943.
How severe is CVE-2019-8942?: CVE-2019-8942 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-8942 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 83% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-8942?: CVE-2019-8942 primarily affects Wordpress. In total, 11 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-8942?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-8942 published?: CVE-2019-8942 was published on 2019-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (11)

cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:beta4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:beta5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:wordpress:wordpress:5.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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