BetterLinks <= 3.1.0 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Short URL Creation via create_fbs_link AJAX Action
The BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.0. 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 subscriber-level access and above, to create arbitrary BetterLinks short URLs with attacker-controlled slugs and redirect destinations, enabling phishing and SEO abuse. Exploitation requires the Fluent Boards companion plugin to be installed and active (so that the FLUENT_BOARDS constant is defined), and is further facilitated by the betterlinks_admin_nonce nonce being emitted on every frontend page via wp_localize_script, making it accessible to any authenticated user.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress plugin | BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP | <= 3.1.0 | 3.1.1 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-862- Platform
- WordPress
- Package
BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP- Disclosed
- 24.08.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:23
Sources and licenses
Wordfence Intelligence - faf44730-b975-4057-96dc-7284775500f9 - Wordfence Intelligence
Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation
Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc.
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Vulnerability history: BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP
All published vulnerabilities of this package (WordPress plugin), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 4
- First → latest
- 10.2021 08.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Medium 4
Disclosures per year
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 1
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BetterLinks <= 3.1.0 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Short URL Creation via create_fbs_link AJAX Action this entry
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