CVE-2026-88974 WPGraphQL: Contributor can publish and modify posts without the required capabilities via updatePost
Contributors can bypass editorial approval to publish or modify posts due to missing capability checks in the WPGraphQL updatePost mutation.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-88974?
CVE-2026-88974 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in wp-graphql, published on 23 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
WPGraphQL provides a GraphQL API for WordPress sites. Prior to 2.22.2, the updatePost mutation in src/Mutation/PostObjectUpdate.php checks only the collection-level edit_posts capability and the post author, but does not enforce the object-level edit_post capability or require publish_posts for public status transitions. An authenticated Contributor can therefore publish the Contributor's own draft without editorial approval or modify the Contributor's previously published post despite lacking edit_published_posts, while posts owned by other authors remain protected. This issue is fixed in version 2.22.2.
Weakness: CWE-863
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-88974?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including wp-graphql/wp-graphql.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
wp-graphql/wp-graphql Packagist | All versions | None |
wp-graphql/wp-graphql Packagist | All versions | None |
How do I fix CVE-2026-88974?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-88974 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.
Is CVE-2026-88974 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-88974 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-5mmc-8pc9-wggg.