CVE-2020-11027Network attack vector

Account takeover via stale password-reset tokens

Published Apr 30, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Improper token invalidation in WordPress 3.7 through 5.4 allows remote attackers to reset a user's password via a stale emailed link. The password-change path fails to invalidate an outstanding reset token, so the previously issued link remains accepted after the account password changes. The attacker must already be able to read the user's email; successful use replaces the account password and enables access as that user.

CVSS severity6.1
Medium
EPSS probability13.63%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper token invalidation in WordPress 3.7 through 5.4 allows remote attackers to reset a user's password via a stale emailed link. The password-change path fails to invalidate an outstanding reset token, so the previously issued link remains accepted after the account password changes. The attacker must already be able to read the user's email; successful use replaces the account password and enables access as that user.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-11027
Published
Apr 30, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
WordPress.org
Product
WordPress
Classifications
T1098
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 30, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 3.7.0, < 3.7.33
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 3.8.0, < 3.8.33
  3. Affected versionversion=>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.31
  4. Affected versionversion=>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.30
  5. Affected versionversion=>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.30
  6. Affected versionversion=>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.27
  7. Affected versionversion=>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.23
  8. Affected versionversion=>= 4.4.0, < 4.4.22
  9. Affected versionversion=>= 4.5.0, < 4.5.21
  10. Affected versionversion=>= 4.6.0, < 4.6.18
  11. Affected versionversion=>= 4.7.0, < 4.7.17
  12. Affected versionversion=>= 4.8.0, < 4.8.13
  13. Affected versionversion=>= 4.9.0, < 4.9.14
  14. Affected versionversion=>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.9
  15. Affected versionversion=>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.5
  16. Affected versionversion=>= 5.2.0, < 5.2.6
  17. Affected versionversion=>= 5.3.0, < 5.3.3
  18. Affected versionversion=>= 5.4.0, < 5.4.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

WordPress.org · WordPressversion=>= 3.7.0, < 3.7.33; version=>= 3.8.0, < 3.8.33; version=>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.31; version=>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.30; version=>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.30; version=>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.27; version=>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.23; version=>= 4.4.0, < 4.4.22; version=>= 4.5.0, < 4.5.21; version=>= 4.6.0, < 4.6.18; version=>= 4.7.0, < 4.7.17; version=>= 4.8.0, < 4.8.13; version=>= 4.9.0, < 4.9.14; version=>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.9; version=>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.5; version=>= 5.2.0, < 5.2.6; version=>= 5.3.0, < 5.3.3; version=>= 5.4.0, < 5.4.1

Published CVSS scores

6.1UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1098Account Manipulation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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