CVE-2026-77784: CWE-639 Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key in Rank Math SEO
Description
The Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin before 1.0.277 does not verify that a user is allowed to edit the object being modified before updating its SEO indexing metadata, allowing users with the Author role and above to alter that metadata on content, taxonomy terms and user profiles they do not own, and to remove other users' content from the site's sitemap and search engine index.
CVSS v3.1
Score 2.7low
Affected software
Rank Math SEO
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin versions prior to 1.0.277 do not verify user authorization before allowing updates to SEO indexing metadata. This authorization bypass (CWE-639) permits users with the Author role or higher to modify SEO metadata on objects they do not own, including content, taxonomy terms, and user profiles. Consequently, these users can remove other users' content from the sitemap and search engine index, impacting site visibility.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows unauthorized users with Author-level permissions or higher to alter SEO metadata on content and user profiles they do not own. This can lead to removal of legitimate content from the sitemap and search engine index, potentially affecting site search visibility and content discoverability. There is no direct confidentiality or availability impact reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, restrict Author role permissions where possible to limit the ability to modify SEO metadata on content they do not own.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- WPScan
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-21T12:06:19.060Z
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a97bd33acd9273b49d9bbc9
Added to database: 09/02/2026, 06:07:47 UTC
Last enriched: 09/07/2026, 14:06:06 UTC
Last updated: 10/18/2026, 06:48:20 UTC
Views: 68
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