WordPress security changelog
MEDIUM CVE-2026-89334 Deferred

Better Messages room transcripts lack an effective access boundary

A caller can retrieve chat-room transcripts, thread metadata and user data when only_joined_can_read remains at its default value of 0. The export inconsistently describes both custom-level authenticated access and access without authentication; it does not establish a clear minimum role or identify the endpoint. Treat private-room data as exposed under the stated configuration without claiming a proven anonymous path for every installation. Authoritative affected range: <= 2.15.33. Confirmed remediation: 3.0.3.

CVE / CNA score 6.5 CVSS 3.1 · security@wordfence.com
NVD score Pending NVD has not published its own CVSS assessment.
Component
Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots
Plugin slug
bp-better-messages
Affected
<= 2.15.33
Safe version
3.0.3
Published
Sep 19, 2026
Weakness
CWE-862 — Missing Authorization

This CVE was published Sep 19, 2026 and is one of 19 known issues for this plugin.

What to do

Update, patch or deactivate.

Confirmed fixed release: 3.0.3. The combined 3.0.0–3.0.3 notes fix REST access to room messages and participants by visitors excluded by guest settings. 3.0.3 is the conservative upper release in that combined entry, not a claim that it was the first fix. Official changelog: https://wordpress.org/plugins/bp-better-messages/#developers . Set only_joined_can_read to require membership as a temporary restriction, then verify that all transcript and metadata reads enforce the room's actual access policy. Disable affected private-room access pending a confirmed fix.

A safe version is available, so updating to that version or later is the preferred remediation. If an immediate update is not practical, consider a targeted application patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality.

Deactivate only when warranted by your risk profile, or when advised by your hosting provider in the limited circumstances where the vulnerability cannot otherwise be mitigated. If you’re unsure which action is appropriate, contact Fused or your hosting provider for guidance.

Source record

Technical description

The Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.15.33. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with custom-level access and above, to access the full message transcript, thread metadata, and user data of any chat-room thread without authentication. This is only exploitable when the chat room's only_joined_can_read setting retains its default value of '0'.

CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

References

Primary and upstream sources