# CVE-2021-25118: Yoast SEO 16.7-17.2 - Unauthenticated Full Path Disclosure

> Unauthenticated attackers can retrieve full internal file paths of featured images via REST endpoints, aiding further exploitation.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Feb 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-946c-79cp-58mf

## What is CVE-2021-25118?

CVE-2021-25118 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Unknown Yoast SEO, published on 28 Feb 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Yoast SEO WordPress plugin (from versions 16.7 until 17.2) discloses the full internal path of featured images in posts via the wp/v2/posts REST endpoints which could help an attacker identify other vulnerabilities or help during the exploitation of other identified vulnerabilities.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-25118?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Yoast Yoast Seo.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-25118?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-25118 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-25118 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25118 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Yoast SEO 16.7-17.2 - Information Disclosure (nuclei): http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-25118.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown Yoast SEO

- [CVE-2019-13478](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-13478/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2023-32300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32300/): WordPress Yoast SEO: Local Plugin <= 14.8 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2018-19370](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19370/): Race condition in n/a (medium 6.6)
- [CVE-2023-28785](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28785/): WordPress Yoast SEO: Local Plugin <= 14.9 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-31779](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-31779/): Server-Side Request Forgery in yoast_seo (medium 6.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-25118 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-25118 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Unknown Yoast SEO, published on 28 Feb 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25118 exists.

Affected product: Unknown Yoast SEO. 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-2021-25118/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25118/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-25118
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-25118
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-25118

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25118/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.