CVE-2026-10033 in Action User Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/24/2026
The EventON Action User plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.14. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying that a user is authorized to perform an action. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to grant EventON management capabilities and the upload_files capability to any non-administrator WordPress role or user, escalating their privileges within the site. The administrator role is protected by an early-return guard in update_role_caps(), so only non-administrator roles and individual users can be targeted; however, the same unauthenticated exposure also allows attackers to enumerate all WordPress users with their IDs and display names, disclose role and user capability state along with nonce values, and tamper with event-to-user term assignments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2026
The vulnerability in the EventON Action User plugin for WordPress represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that affects versions up to and including 2.5.14. This security weakness stems from inadequate verification mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, specifically in how it handles user role validation during capability assignment operations. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the system by manipulating the update_role_caps() function, which should normally enforce strict authorization checks before granting elevated permissions to users. The vulnerability manifests through a lack of proper authentication verification that should occur prior to any privilege escalation attempts, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate user capabilities without proper credentials or authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems, and demonstrates how insufficient access control checks can lead to privilege escalation attacks. The plugin's failure to validate user authorization status before modifying role capabilities creates a path for attackers to grant themselves management permissions and upload_files capabilities across various WordPress user roles. This authorization bypass specifically targets non-administrator roles since the administrator role benefits from an early-return guard mechanism within the update_role_caps() function, but this protection does not extend to other user accounts that may be exploited for privilege elevation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with comprehensive enumeration capabilities across the WordPress user base. Unauthenticated threat actors can discover all registered users including their unique identifiers and display names, alongside complete information about role assignments and current capability states for each account. Additionally, the vulnerability exposes nonce values which are critical cryptographic tokens used to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks, making them valuable targets for exploitation. The ability to tamper with event-to-user term assignments further compounds the risk by allowing attackers to manipulate content relationships and potentially cause data integrity issues within the event management system.
Organizations running affected versions of the EventON plugin face significant security risks including potential full site compromise through privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions, modify event content, upload malicious files, and potentially establish persistent access through compromised user accounts. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in relation to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage and privilege escalation tactics. Mitigation strategies must include immediate plugin updates to versions that address the authorization bypass flaw, implementation of network-based restrictions on plugin endpoints, and comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized capability changes or user enumeration attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper access control implementation in WordPress plugins and serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor functionality can create significant security exposures when authorization checks are insufficiently enforced.
The exposure of nonce values represents a particularly concerning aspect of this vulnerability since these tokens are designed to prevent CSRF attacks and maintain session integrity. When nonces become predictable or discoverable through unauthorized access, they lose their protective value and enable attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress system. This aspect of the vulnerability demonstrates how authorization bypasses can compound security issues beyond simple privilege escalation, creating additional attack vectors that leverage the exposure of cryptographic tokens and authentication mechanisms within the platform.