# CVE-2017-14990: Information disclosure in n/a

> WordPress stores signup activation keys in cleartext, allowing attackers with database read access to hijack unactivated user accounts.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Oct 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2017-14990, GHSA-vhx7-jpm9-345w, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-14990

## What is CVE-2017-14990?

CVE-2017-14990 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 2 Oct 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

WordPress 4.8.2 stores cleartext wp_signups.activation_key values (but stores the analogous wp_users.user_activation_key values as hashes), which might make it easier for remote attackers to hijack unactivated user accounts by leveraging database read access (such as access gained through an unspecified SQL injection vulnerability).

Weakness: CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-14990?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Wordpress Wordpress.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-14990?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2017-14990 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-14990 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-14990 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-14990 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 2 Oct 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-14990 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14990/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14990/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-14990
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-14990
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-14990

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14990/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.