CVE-2020-4048Network attack vector

Open redirect via incomplete URL sanitization

Published Jun 12, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Open redirect in WordPress 3.7 through 5.4.1 allows remote authenticated users to send visitors to an external site via a crafted URL. wp_validate_redirect() trims the supplied location but fails to pass it through wp_sanitize_redirect() before interpreting and validating the destination. A low-privileged account must create the link and a visitor must click it; the result is navigation away from the trusted WordPress origin.

CVSS severity5.7
Medium
EPSS probability1.98%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Open redirect in WordPress 3.7 through 5.4.1 allows remote authenticated users to send visitors to an external site via a crafted URL. wp_validate_redirect() trims the supplied location but fails to pass it through wp_sanitize_redirect() before interpreting and validating the destination. A low-privileged account must create the link and a visitor must click it; the result is navigation away from the trusted WordPress origin.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-4048
Published
Jun 12, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
WordPress.org
Product
WordPress
Classifications
CWE-601
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 12, 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, < 3.7.34
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 3.8.0, < 3.8.34
  3. Affected versionversion=>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.32
  4. Affected versionversion=>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.31
  5. Affected versionversion=>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.31
  6. Affected versionversion=>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.28
  7. Affected versionversion=>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.24
  8. Affected versionversion=>= 4.4.0, < 4.4.23
  9. Affected versionversion=>= 4.5.0, < 4.5.22
  10. Affected versionversion=>= 4.6.0, < 4.6.19
  11. Affected versionversion=>= 4.7.0, < 4.7.18
  12. Affected versionversion=>= 4.8.0, < 4.8.14
  13. Affected versionversion=>= 4.9.0, < 4.9.15
  14. Affected versionversion=>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.10
  15. Affected versionversion=>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.6
  16. Affected versionversion=>= 5.2.0, < 5.2.7
  17. Affected versionversion=>= 5.3.0, < 5.3.4
  18. Affected versionversion=>= 5.4.0, < 5.4.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

WordPress.org · WordPressversion=>= 3.7.0, < 3.7.34; version=>= 3.8.0, < 3.8.34; version=>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.32; version=>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.31; version=>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.31; version=>= 4.2.0, < 4.2.28; version=>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.24; version=>= 4.4.0, < 4.4.23; version=>= 4.5.0, < 4.5.22; version=>= 4.6.0, < 4.6.19; version=>= 4.7.0, < 4.7.18; version=>= 4.8.0, < 4.8.14; version=>= 4.9.0, < 4.9.15; version=>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.10; version=>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.6; version=>= 5.2.0, < 5.2.7; version=>= 5.3.0, < 5.3.4; version=>= 5.4.0, < 5.4.2

Published CVSS scores

5.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
4.9NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-601URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect')

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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