CVE-2026-107423 in User Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WP User Manager WP User Manager wp-user-manager allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects WP User Manager: from n/a through 2.9.22.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the WP User Manager plugin, a widely utilized tool for managing user profiles and registration processes on WordPress-based websites. This vulnerability is classified as an improper access control issue, specifically falling under CWE-862: Missing Authorization. The core technical deficiency involves the application's failure to enforce adequate permissions checks when handling sensitive administrative or profile-related actions. Consequently, authenticated users with lower privilege levels can interact with endpoints and functions that are intended exclusively for administrators or higher-level roles. This breakdown in security logic allows attackers to bypass standard role-based access controls, effectively granting them unauthorized capabilities within the system environment.
From an operational perspective, this misconfiguration creates a significant risk vector for data integrity and confidentiality. An attacker who has obtained valid credentials through phishing, credential stuffing, or other means can leverage these elevated privileges without needing further authentication steps. The impact ranges from viewing private user information to modifying critical site configurations or managing other users' accounts. In the context of modern web application security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, this behavior aligns with techniques related to Privilege Escalation and Account Manipulation. Specifically, it facilitates lateral movement within a compromised environment if multiple sites share backend infrastructure or database connections, thereby expanding the blast radius of an initial compromise.
The vulnerability affects versions of WP User Manager ranging from its inception up through version 2.9.22. This broad range indicates that the underlying architectural flaw has persisted across numerous updates, suggesting either a fundamental design oversight in how access control lists are implemented or a regression introduced during feature additions without adequate security review. For organizations relying on this plugin to manage user data, the presence of such a vulnerability undermines trust and compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA if personal health information is stored within these profiles. The lack of strict server-side validation for role-based permissions means that client-side restrictions can be trivially bypassed using standard HTTP request manipulation tools.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required to update the WP User Manager plugin to a version where the access control logic has been corrected by the developers. If an updated patch is not immediately available or if the system cannot be taken offline for maintenance, temporary mitigation strategies should include restricting direct file and database access through web server configuration rules such as .htaccess directives in Apache or location blocks in Nginx. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with specific rule sets targeting known exploitation patterns of this plugin can provide an additional layer of defense by blocking malicious requests that attempt to exploit the missing authorization checks. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on role-based access control are also recommended to identify similar gaps across other plugins installed within the WordPress ecosystem.