# CVE-2026-16968: GeoDirectory < 2.8.168 - Contributor+ User Email Disclosure via geodir_json_search_users

> Authenticated contributors can retrieve email addresses of all registered users, including administrators, due to missing access controls in the user search handler.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** No
- **Published:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-826p-m5jc-6mc3

## What is CVE-2026-16968?

CVE-2026-16968 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Unknown GeoDirectory, published on 5 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The GeoDirectory  WordPress plugin before 2.8.168 does not restrict a user-search handler to users allowed to list users, allowing any authenticated user with Contributor-level access or higher to retrieve the email addresses of all registered users, including administrators.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-16968?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-16968?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-16968 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-16968 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-16968 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-16968 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-16968 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Unknown GeoDirectory, published on 5 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-16968 exists.

Affected product: Unknown GeoDirectory. 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-2026-16968/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16968/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-16968
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16968
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-16968

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16968/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.