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Fencer Intel
medium 5.0

CVE-2011-4898 json

wp-admin/setup-config.php in the installation component in WordPress 3.3.1 and earlier generates different error messages for requests lack…

published 2012-01-30 14 y ago modified 2026-06-16 4 mo ago also EUVD-2011-4815

cvss
5.0
version 2.0, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
9.2%
EPSS 9.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 95%
public exploits
1
Exploit-DB

Summary

wp-admin/setup-config.php in the installation component in WordPress 3.3.1 and earlier generates different error messages for requests lacking a dbname parameter depending on whether the MySQL credentials are valid, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute-force attacks via a series of requests with different uname and pwd parameters. NOTE: the vendor disputes the significance of this issue; also, it is unclear whether providing intentionally vague error messages during installation would be reasonable from a usability perspective

Timeline

  1. First public exploit (EDB-18417)
  2. Published

Exploit prediction

9.21% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 95% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

  • EDB-18417 WordPress Core 3.3.1 - Multiple Vulnerabilities webapps, 2012-01-25
  • trustwave.com https://www.trustwave.com/spiderlabs/advisories/TWSL2012-002.txt referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • archives.neohapsis.com http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2012-01/0150.html referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 2.0 5.0 AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Technology feeds

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.