CVE-2026-111842 in Sunshine Photo Cart Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/23/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in WP Sunshine Sunshine Photo Cart sunshine-photo-cart allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Sunshine Photo Cart: from n/a through 3.7.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/23/2026
The identified security flaw represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the WP Sunshine Sunshine Photo Cart plugin, specifically affecting versions ranging from initial releases up to version 3.7.5. This vulnerability is classified as an insecure direct object reference or broken access control issue, where the application fails to properly verify whether the authenticated user has sufficient privileges to perform specific actions on requested resources. In a typical web application architecture, authorization checks must be enforced server-side for every request that modifies state or accesses sensitive data. However, in this instance, the plugin relies on insufficient validation logic, allowing attackers who possess valid credentials—or potentially unauthenticated users depending on the specific endpoint—to bypass intended security restrictions and manipulate photo cart functionalities without proper permission verification.
From a technical perspective, the root cause lies in the incorrect configuration of access control levels within the plugin's codebase. The software likely accepts user-supplied input related to product IDs, order statuses, or pricing parameters without adequately cross-referencing these inputs against the current session’s authorization context. This oversight enables an attacker to exploit the misconfiguration by crafting malicious HTTP requests that manipulate internal identifiers or state variables. For example, a lower-privileged user might be able to modify orders belonging to other users, change prices of items in their own cart without payment processing restrictions, or access administrative functions intended only for site administrators. The lack of robust server-side validation means the application trusts client-supplied data regarding role-based permissions rather than enforcing them through secure backend logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant and can lead to severe business consequences for websites utilizing the affected plugin. Attackers with basic web exploitation skills could potentially engage in unauthorized transactions, alter pricing structures to offer products at zero cost or manipulate inventory levels artificially. This not only results in direct financial loss but also compromises data integrity by allowing users to view sensitive information such as customer details and order histories that should remain confidential. Furthermore, the ability to modify cart contents without proper authorization can disrupt normal e-commerce operations, leading to a degraded user experience for legitimate customers who encounter inconsistent pricing or unavailable items due to malicious interference.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Control, and falls under MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, specifically Valid Accounts used in the context of unauthorized access. The exploitation vector typically involves authenticated users leveraging their existing session tokens to send crafted requests that bypass intended role-based restrictions. To mitigate this risk, administrators should immediately update the WP Sunshine Sunshine Photo Cart plugin to a version newer than 3.7.5 where these authorization checks have been corrected by the developers. In cases where an immediate upgrade is not feasible due to compatibility constraints or other operational dependencies, implementing web application firewall rules that monitor for anomalous patterns in cart modification requests can provide a layer of defense. Additionally, enforcing strict role-based access control policies and conducting regular security audits on custom plugins are essential practices to prevent similar authorization bypasses in the future.