CVE-2026-110227 in Restricted Site Access Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in 10up Restricted Site Access restricted-site-access allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Restricted Site Access: from n/a through 7.6.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2026
The identified security flaw represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the Restricted Site Access plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions ranging from no initial version up to and including release 7.6.2. This vulnerability is classified as an authorization bypass where the application fails to properly enforce restrictions on authenticated users who possess valid credentials but lack the necessary privileges to access specific administrative or restricted areas of the website. The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation checks during request processing, allowing attackers with low-privileged accounts to manipulate HTTP requests and gain unauthorized elevation of privilege. This misconfiguration effectively neutralizes the security boundaries intended by the plugin, creating a pathway for lateral movement within the compromised environment.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-269, which denotes Improper Privilege Control. The flaw arises because the application logic does not adequately verify whether the current session's permission level matches the requirements of the requested resource before granting access. In many web applications utilizing role-based access control, it is assumed that once a user is authenticated, subsequent requests are automatically filtered by their assigned roles. However, in this instance, the enforcement mechanism contains gaps that allow an attacker to bypass these checks. By crafting specific API calls or navigating directly to restricted URLs, an unauthorized actor can execute administrative functions, modify site configurations, or access sensitive data that should remain isolated from standard user accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for exploitation by any authenticated user on the target system. Since WordPress sites often have a mix of subscriber-level users and administrators, even a single compromised low-privilege account can serve as an entry point for full site takeover if such authorization checks are missing. Attackers can exploit this flaw to deface the website, inject malicious code into posts or pages, steal user data including email addresses and profile information, or install additional malware plugins that persist beyond the initial breach. The ease of exploitation means that automated scanning tools targeting WordPress installations with known vulnerable plugin versions will likely detect and attempt to leverage this weakness rapidly upon discovery in public vulnerability databases.
This behavior is also indicative of weaknesses described under MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, specifically Valid Accounts, where adversaries use legitimate credentials to access resources without needing to crack passwords or exploit authentication flaws directly. The attacker relies on the system's trust in existing sessions rather than breaking into them. Furthermore, it relates to CWE-284 Improper Access Control, highlighting a systemic design flaw where security controls are not consistently applied across all endpoints and functions within the application layer.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required by updating the Restricted Site Access plugin to version 7.6.3 or later, which contains patches addressing these authorization checks. Administrators should verify that no custom code overrides the default permission logic provided by the updated plugin. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with rulesets tuned for WordPress can provide an additional layer of defense by blocking suspicious request patterns associated with privilege escalation attempts. Regular auditing of user roles and permissions is also recommended to ensure that only necessary users have elevated privileges, thereby reducing the attack surface available should such vulnerabilities be present in other components of the stack.