CVE-2026-104677 in Coder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/07/2026
The WP Coder WordPress plugin before 4.5.2 does not restrict access to its PHP code-execution feature to administrators, gating it on a content capability that the Editor role holds by default, which allows Editor-level users to save and execute arbitrary PHP code on the server and fully compromise the site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified in WP Coder versions prior to 4.5.2 represents a critical authorization failure within the WordPress plugin ecosystem. The core issue stems from an improper implementation of access controls for the plugin's primary feature, which allows users to write and execute arbitrary PHP code directly on the web server. In a typical secure architecture, such high-privilege operations must be strictly gated behind administrative capabilities that are reserved exclusively for site owners or trusted system administrators who have undergone rigorous vetting processes. However, in this specific instance, the developers incorrectly bound the permission check to a content capability rather than an administrator-level role requirement. This architectural oversight means that any user assigned the Editor role by default can access and utilize these dangerous features without requiring elevated privileges beyond their standard editorial permissions.
From a technical perspective, this flaw constitutes a classic case of broken access control where the software fails to enforce proper separation of duties between different user roles. The vulnerability allows an attacker with Editor-level credentials to inject malicious PHP scripts into the server environment. Once executed, these scripts run with the same privileges as the web server process itself, typically Apache or Nginx running under a specific system user account. This grants the attacker full control over the underlying operating system, enabling them to read sensitive configuration files such as wp-config.php which contains database credentials, modify core WordPress files to establish persistence, install additional backdoors, and potentially pivot into other systems on the same network if lateral movement is possible due to shared hosting environments or weak internal segmentation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, leading to complete site compromise rather than mere data leakage or defacement. An attacker can exfiltrate all stored user data including passwords hashed with WordPress standards, steal session cookies to hijack administrative sessions remotely, and use the compromised server as a relay for further attacks against third-party services. Furthermore, because PHP execution is unrestricted, attackers can deploy web shells that provide persistent remote access even if initial entry points are patched or closed. This transforms what might have been a manageable editorial account into a full-blown system administration tool in the hands of potentially malicious actors who may have gained Editor status through social engineering, credential stuffing, or exploiting other lower-severity vulnerabilities within the same WordPress installation.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management and specifically falls under the category of insufficient role-based access control where default roles are assigned excessive permissions. In terms of the MITRE ATT&CK framework for enterprise security, this behavior maps directly to T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter via PHP execution, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the target system. It also relates to T1078 Valid Accounts as it involves the misuse of legitimate user credentials that possess more power than intended by the principle of least privilege. The lack of proper capability checks means that standard security monitoring tools focused solely on admin activity might miss these malicious actions, making detection significantly harder without specialized behavioral analysis or file integrity monitoring solutions.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates and architectural review. Site administrators should upgrade WP Coder to version 4.5.2 or later where the access controls have been corrected to restrict PHP execution capabilities exclusively to users with Administrator privileges. Until the update is applied, it is advisable to disable the plugin entirely if its functionality is not strictly required for daily operations. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall can help block known patterns of malicious PHP code injection attempts at the network perimeter layer. Organizations should also enforce strict role management policies ensuring that no unnecessary users are assigned Editor or higher roles and regularly audit user permissions across all installed plugins to ensure compliance with security best practices. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on authorization flaws will further reduce the risk surface associated with third-party WordPress extensions.