CVE-2026-11354 in Participants Database Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/24/2026
The Participants Database plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 2.7.8.3 via the 'id' parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to overwrite arbitrary participant records by numeric ID and redirect the private_id-bearing record-access link to an attacker-controlled email address, granting full read and edit access to the victim's stored personally identifiable information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and any other fields collected in the participant database. An attacker can harvest a valid nonce with a plain unauthenticated GET request to any page rendering the public signup or record form, then POST action=update with an arbitrary id value to overwrite any record; chaining a subsequent action=retrieve then delivers the private-access link to the attacker-controlled mailbox.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2026
The Participants Database plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability classified as sensitive information exposure affecting all versions through 2.7.8.3. This flaw stems from improper access control mechanisms within the plugin's handling of participant records, specifically exploiting the 'id' parameter that lacks adequate authentication and authorization checks. The vulnerability operates through a sophisticated attack vector that allows unauthenticated threat actors to manipulate participant data by leveraging numeric identifiers to overwrite arbitrary records within the database system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the absence of proper validation for the id parameter, enabling attackers to construct malicious requests targeting specific numeric record identifiers. When an attacker identifies a valid participant record through enumeration or prediction methods, they can execute a POST request with action=update and specify any arbitrary id value to modify existing records. This flaw fundamentally undermines the plugin's data integrity controls and demonstrates a clear violation of security principle 13 from the OWASP Top Ten 2021, which addresses access control vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a direct exploitation of weak input validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data modification, as it provides attackers with comprehensive read and edit capabilities over personally identifiable information stored within the participant database. Victim records may contain sensitive details including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and custom fields collected through the plugin's forms, creating a substantial privacy breach risk. The attack chain becomes particularly dangerous when combined with nonce harvesting techniques, where attackers can obtain valid nonces through simple GET requests to public-facing pages that render signup or record forms. This approach bypasses traditional authentication requirements while leveraging legitimate system functionality against itself.
The exploitation process demonstrates sophisticated chaining of multiple attack vectors that collectively enable full compromise of participant data. After harvesting a valid nonce through unauthenticated GET requests, attackers can POST action=update with arbitrary id values to overwrite records, then utilize action=retrieve to generate private-access links that redirect to attacker-controlled email addresses. This methodology creates persistent access points for unauthorized individuals and represents a significant concern under the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically mapping to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access through application vulnerabilities. The vulnerability essentially transforms legitimate plugin functionality into an attack vector that can be weaponized by threat actors without requiring any authentication credentials.
Organizations utilizing this plugin must implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions, implementing proper input validation for all parameters, and establishing robust access controls for database operations. Additional defensive measures should include monitoring for unauthorized record modifications, implementing rate limiting on database update requests, and ensuring that private-access links are properly authenticated before delivery to any email address. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious parameter manipulation attempts, while regular security audits of plugin configurations should verify proper access control implementations. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices, particularly regarding parameter validation, authentication requirements, and input sanitization to prevent similar issues in future software deployments.