Description
WordPress does not properly restrict which user fields are searchable via the REST API, allowing unauthenticated attackers to discern the email addresses of users who have published public posts on an affected website via an Oracle style attack
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | WordPress | 6.3.0 – < 6.3.2, 6.2.0 – < 6.2.3, 6.1.0 – < 6.1.4, 6.0.0 – < 6.0.6, 5.9.0 – < 5.9.8, 5.8.0 – < 5.8.8, 5.7.0 – < 5.7.10, 5.6.0 – < 5.6.12, 5.5.0 – < 5.5.13, 5.4.0 – < 5.4.14, 5.3.0 – < 5.3.16, 5.2.0 – < 5.2.19, 5.0.0 – < 5.0.20, 4.9.0 – < 4.9.24, 4.8.0 – < 4.8.23, 4.7.0 – < 4.7.27 | 6.3.2 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | wordpress | 6.3.2+dfsg1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | wordpress | 6.3.2+dfsg1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | wordpress | 6.1.6+dfsg1-0+deb12u1 | DSA-5685-1 |
| Debian 11 | wordpress | 5.7.11+dfsg1-0+deb11u1 | DSA-5685-1 |
| Debian 10 | wordpress | 5.0.20+dfsg1-0+deb10u1 | DLA-3658-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | wordpress | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | wordpress | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | wordpress | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | wordpress | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | wordpress | No fix yet | — |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
GitHub 3 repositories
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pog007/CVE-2023-5561-PoC ★ 4 · Dec 13, 2023
WordPress does not properly restrict which user fields are searchable via the REST API, allowing unauthenticated attackers to discern the email addresses of users who have published public posts on a…
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rootxsushant/CVE-2023-5561-POC-Updated ★ 3 · Apr 1, 2025
Updated POC for Unauth Post Author Email Disclosures WordPress CVE-2023-5561
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dthkhang/CVE-2023-5561-PoC ★ 1 · Jul 1, 2025
CVE-2023-5561-PoC
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Automated scanner template
A ready-made Nuclei template detects this vulnerability automatically. Vulnerabilities with public scanner templates are typically probed across the internet soon after the template appears — exposed systems should be patched first.
- WordPress Core - Post Author Email Disclosure http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-5561.yaml
Source: projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates (MIT) — updated daily. Only links are listed.
Advisories 3
- DSA-5685-1 wordpress - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-3658-1 wordpress - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- WID-SEC-2023-2640 WordPress: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · May 9, 2024
References
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/19380917-4c27-4095-abf1-eba6f913b441 exploit vdb-entry technical-description
- https://wpscan.com/blog/email-leak-oracle-vulnerability-addressed-in-wordpress-6-3-2/ technical-description
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/11/msg00014.html