CVE-2021-25118Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Server path disclosure via REST image metadata

Published Feb 28, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Information disclosure in Yoast SEO 16.7 through 17.2 allows remote attackers to read server paths through WordPress REST responses. The wp/v2/posts serializer includes each featured image's full filesystem path in the yoast_head_json.og_image path member. No authentication or user interaction is required, but a public post with a featured image must exist; the disclosed path alone does not grant file access.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability5.63%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in Yoast SEO 16.7 through 17.2 allows remote attackers to read server paths through WordPress REST responses. The wp/v2/posts serializer includes each featured image's full filesystem path in the yoast_head_json.og_image path member. No authentication or user interaction is required, but a public post with a featured image must exist; the disclosed path alone does not grant file access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-25118
Published
Feb 28, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Yoast
Product
Yoast SEO
Classifications
CWE-200, CWE-209
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 28, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=16.7 <16.7*
  2. Affected versionversion=17.3 <17.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Yoast · Yoast SEOversion=16.7 <16.7*; version=17.3 <17.3

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
5.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-200Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
CWE-209Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information

Public exploit references

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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