CVE-2026-112834 in Seriously Simple Podcasting Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/20/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Castos Seriously Simple Podcasting seriously-simple-podcasting allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Seriously Simple Podcasting: from n/a through 3.17.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2026
The vulnerability identified within the Castos Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms, specifically categorized under CWE-285 Improper Authorization. This flaw allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured security levels by bypassing authentication checks that should restrict certain actions to authorized users only. The issue affects versions of the plugin ranging from its initial release through version 3.17.0, indicating a long-standing deficiency in how user roles and capabilities are validated during administrative operations. In WordPress environments, such vulnerabilities often stem from insufficient verification of whether the current user possesses the necessary permissions before executing sensitive functions, leading to unauthorized access to protected resources or actions.
From a technical perspective, this missing authorization flaw typically manifests when an endpoint or function within the plugin does not adequately check for specific capabilities like edit_posts, manage_options, or other role-based permissions defined by WordPress core. An attacker can craft malicious requests that target these unprotected endpoints, effectively performing administrative tasks such as modifying site settings, creating new users, or altering content without valid credentials. This type of vulnerability is frequently mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage existing but improperly secured accounts or exploit the lack of session validation to gain elevated privileges within the application environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for any website relying on Seriously Simple Podcasting for content management and distribution. Successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of the WordPress installation, allowing adversaries to inject malicious code, deface web pages, steal sensitive data including user credentials and podcast metadata, or use the compromised server as a pivot point for further network attacks. Since podcasting plugins often handle media files and potentially integrate with external services, the breach could also expose proprietary content or violate compliance requirements related to data protection and privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA if personal information is exposed through these unauthorized channels.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation by updating the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin to a version later than 3.17.0 where this authorization check has been properly implemented. Until an update is available, administrators should consider disabling the affected functionality if possible or implementing web application firewall rules that block suspicious requests targeting known vulnerable endpoints. Additionally, enforcing strict role-based access control policies and regularly auditing user permissions can help minimize the attack surface. Security monitoring tools should be configured to detect anomalous administrative activity originating from unexpected IP addresses or unusual request patterns indicative of automated exploitation attempts against this specific vulnerability class.