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Medium

Jetpack 3.2 - 16.1.2 - Missing Authorization on WPCOM Media API Attachment Parent

  • Disclosed: 03.09.2026
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:23

The Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Missing Authorization in versions 3.2 through 16.1.2 via the WPCOM JSON API media upload and update endpoints. Early releases accepted the destination as post_ID, while later releases used parent_id; both values were written to an attachment’s post_parent without checking whether the caller could edit the destination post. Authorization was limited to upload_files and, in later update implementations, permission to edit the media item itself. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with an account linked to the Jetpack connection and the upload_files capability, which is Author and above by default, to attach an arbitrary media item to a post they do not own. Where the target post uses a bare [gallery] shortcode or a theme that calls get_attached_media()/get_children(), the attacker's media then renders inside the victim's post. The endpoints are reached only through the WordPress.com HMAC-signed jetpack.jsonAPI XML-RPC proxy, not via a /wp-json route.

Affected software

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PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
WordPress plugin Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth >= 3.2, <= 16.1.2 16.1.3

References

CVSS score 4.3/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-862
Platform
WordPress
Package
Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth
Disclosed
03.09.2026
Updated
11.10.2026 10:23

Sources and licenses

Wordfence Intelligence - f72c0a27-9602-4465-a14a-15c2a34e578b - Wordfence Intelligence

Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc.

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc.

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/
Wordfence Intelligence
Wordfence Intelligence - Defiant, Inc.
Copyright Defiant, Inc. All rights reserved except as granted below.
License grant, section 3.1 of the Wordfence Intelligence Terms and Conditions (January 26, 2026):

Subject to this Agreement, Company hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute the Service. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce Company’s copyright designation, this license, and the license of any disclosed Company licensor in any such copy.

Full applicable Agreement: https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/

Vulnerability history: Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth

All published vulnerabilities of this package (WordPress plugin), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (31) in the archive
Total entries
31
First → latest
08.2014 09.2026
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 2
  • High 4
  • Medium 25

Disclosures per year

earlier: 8

Severity:
  1. Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth 16.1 - 16.1.2 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting
    High · 7.2 2ae1c18c-5be3-48db-af31-4c88daa549fc >= 16.1, <= 16.1.2 16.1.3
  2. Jetpack 3.2 - 16.1.2 - Missing Authorization on WPCOM Media API Attachment Parent this entry
    Medium · 4.3 f72c0a27-9602-4465-a14a-15c2a34e578b >= 3.2, <= 16.1.2 16.1.3
  3. Jetpack 12.0 - 16.1.2 - Authenticated (Administrator+) PHP Object Injection
    High · 7.2 72f4776f-5450-4022-92dd-47ddaa91a5cd >= 12.0, <= 12.0.2, >= 12.1, <= 12.1.2, >= 12.2, <= 12.2.2, >= 12.3, <= 12.3.1, >= 12.4, <= 12.4.1, >= 12.5, <= 12.5.1, >= 12.6, <= 12.6.3, >= 12.7, <= 12.7.2, >= 12.8, <= 12.8.2, >= 12.9, <= 12.9.4, >= 13.0, <= 13.0.1, >= 13.1, <= 13.1.4, >= 13.2, <= 13.2.3, >= 13.3, <= 13.3.2, >= 13.4, <= 13.4.4, >= 13.5, <= 13.5.1, >= 13.6, <= 13.6.1, >= 13.7, <= 13.7.1, >= 13.8, <= 13.8.2, >= 13.9, <= 13.9.1, = 14.0, = 14.1, >= 14.2, <= 14.2.1, = 14.3, >= 14.4, <= 14.4.1, = 14.5, = 14.6, = 14.7, = 14.8, >= 14.9, <= 14.9.1, >= 15.0, <= 15.0.2, >= 15.1, <= 15.1.1, = 15.2, >= 15.3, <= 15.3.1, = 15.4, = 15.5, = 15.6, >= 15.7, <= 15.7.1, = 15.8, >= 15.9, <= 15.9.1, >= 16.0, <= 16.0.1, >= 16.1, <= 16.1.2 12.0.3, 12.1.3, 12.2.3, 12.3.2, 12.4.2, 12.5.2, 12.6.4, 12.7.3, 12.8.3, 12.9.5, 13.0.2, 13.1.5, 13.2.4, 13.3.3, 13.4.5, 13.5.2, 13.6.2, 13.7.2, 13.8.3, 13.9.2, 14.0.1, 14.1.1, 14.2.2, 14.3.1, 14.4.2, 14.5.1, 14.6.1, 14.7.1, 14.8.1, 14.9.2, 15.0.3, 15.1.2, 15.2.1, 15.3.2, 15.4.1, 15.5.1, 15.6.1, 15.7.2, 15.8.1, 15.9.2, 16.0.2, 16.1.3
  4. Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth < 4.2 - Timing Attack
    Critical · 9.8 fc6dcf93-7f1f-4e87-8ba5-852d23b1f0fd < 4.2 4.2
  5. Jetpack – WP Security, Backup, Speed, & Growth < 4.2 - CSV Injection
    Critical · 9.6 f4703ca7-0677-4128-b9b7-31132ff1804d < 4.2 4.2
  6. Jetpack <= 3.7.1 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting
    High · 7.2 a1c731b9-8862-4140-b5e8-58132113e22c <= 3.7.1 3.7.2
  7. Jetpack <= 3.5.2 - Cross-Site Scripting
    High · 7.2 d8616189-5ab8-4db0-ab9e-768cc738aeb6 <= 3.5.2 3.5.3

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