The Jetpack WordPress plugin, a widely used tool by approximately 28 million websites, has recently patched a critical vulnerability that could allow logged-in users to access forms submitted by others. This security issue was uncovered during an internal audit by Jetpack’s development team and has been present since version 3.9.9, released in 2016. As a measure to protect users, Jetpack has collaborated with the WordPress.org Security Team to implement automatic updates across 101 versions of the plugin, ensuring that sites are upgraded to secure versions without requiring manual intervention from users.
The vulnerability specifically affects the Contact Form feature of Jetpack, allowing unauthorized access to user-submitted forms. Jetpack’s Jeremy Herve emphasized the potential risk, noting that any logged-in user could exploit this flaw to view sensitive information submitted by visitors. While there is currently no evidence that this vulnerability has been exploited in the wild, the public disclosure raises concerns about potential future attacks, particularly given the extensive user base of the plugin.
This incident is not isolated, as it follows a similar critical fix implemented in June 2023, which addressed another long-standing security issue within the Jetpack plugin that had existed since November 2012. Such recurring vulnerabilities highlight ongoing security challenges faced by popular plugins in the WordPress ecosystem, raising questions about the robustness of security measures during the development and maintenance processes.
In light of this vulnerability, WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has also been involved in a dispute with hosting provider WP Engine over the security of its Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin. WordPress.org has taken control of the ACF plugin, forking it into a new version called Secure Custom Fields, which aims to address security concerns while removing commercial upsells. This situation underscores the importance of maintaining high security standards across all plugins and the necessity for developers to remain vigilant in protecting user data against potential threats.
