CVE-2022-1186 is a medium-severity information exposure vulnerability affecting the WordPress plugin 'Be POPIA Compliant' up to and including version 1.1.5. The vulnerability arises from an API route within the plugin that improperly exposes sensitive user information—specifically, site visitors' email addresses and usernames—to unauthenticated users. This means that any visitor to a website using the vulnerable plugin version can access this data without needing to log in or authenticate. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting a network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and limited confidentiality impact (C:L) with no impact on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). There are no known exploits in the wild, and no official patches or updates were linked in the provided information, though it is likely that plugin developers have addressed this issue in later versions. The vulnerability is significant because it compromises user privacy by leaking personally identifiable information (PII), which is particularly sensitive under data protection regulations such as the EU's GDPR. The exposure of emails and usernames can facilitate targeted phishing attacks, spam campaigns, or user enumeration attacks, potentially leading to further exploitation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a notable risk due to the strict data protection and privacy regulations enforced by the GDPR. Exposure of email addresses and usernames without user consent can lead to regulatory penalties and damage to organizational reputation. Organizations using the 'Be POPIA Compliant' plugin on WordPress sites may inadvertently expose their users' PII, increasing the risk of phishing, social engineering, and spam attacks targeting their user base. This can degrade user trust and potentially lead to account compromise if attackers use the exposed information as a foothold for credential stuffing or brute force attacks. Additionally, organizations may face legal consequences for failing to adequately protect personal data. The impact is primarily on confidentiality, with no direct effect on system integrity or availability. However, the indirect consequences of data leakage can be severe, especially for organizations handling sensitive or regulated data.

European organizations should immediately verify if their WordPress sites use the 'Be POPIA Compliant' plugin and identify the version in use. If running version 1.1.5 or earlier, they should upgrade to the latest patched version provided by the plugin developer as soon as it becomes available. In the absence of an official patch, organizations should consider disabling or removing the plugin temporarily to prevent data leakage. Additionally, organizations can implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to restrict access to the vulnerable API endpoints, limiting exposure to unauthenticated users. Monitoring web server logs for unusual access patterns to the API route can help detect exploitation attempts. Organizations should also review their privacy policies and notify affected users if data exposure has occurred, in compliance with GDPR breach notification requirements. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and adherence to the principle of least privilege for API endpoints are recommended to prevent similar issues.