CVE-2026-116846 in WP User Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
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 2.9.26.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within the WP User Manager plugin, specifically categorized under CWE-862 Missing Authorization and aligned with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts when leveraged by authenticated attackers to escalate privileges or access restricted data. This flaw stems from an incorrect configuration of security levels that governs how user roles and permissions are validated during administrative operations. In a properly secured WordPress environment, every request involving sensitive actions such as modifying user profiles, changing role assignments, or accessing private member directories must be rigorously checked against the current session's privileges to ensure the actor has explicit permission for the targeted resource. However, in versions of WP User Manager ranging from n/a through 2.9.26, this validation process is either absent or bypassed due to flawed logic in the backend handling of user management requests.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability likely manifests as an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) scenario where the application fails to verify that the authenticated user initiating the request owns the target resource or possesses the necessary administrative rights to manipulate it. For instance, if a standard subscriber-level user can send a crafted HTTP POST request with modified parameters targeting another user's ID or role assignment, and the server processes this change without verifying the initiator's authority level, the authorization check is effectively missing. This allows attackers who have obtained valid credentials for even low-privilege accounts to perform actions reserved exclusively for administrators or higher-tier roles. The root cause lies in the reliance on client-side controls or insufficient server-side validation of role-based access control policies during critical state-changing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it undermines the fundamental integrity and confidentiality guarantees provided by WordPress's multi-user architecture. An attacker exploiting this flaw can escalate their privileges from a low-level contributor to an administrator, thereby gaining full control over the website. This includes the ability to install malicious plugins, modify core files, access sensitive database information containing personal identifiable information of other users, or deface the site. Furthermore, because WP User Manager is widely used for membership sites and community platforms, this vulnerability can lead to significant data breaches affecting numerous end-users whose private profiles are exposed through unauthorized administrative actions. The lack of proper authorization checks means that any authenticated user becomes a potential threat actor capable of compromising the entire application ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate remediation followed by long-term security hardening. The primary and most effective solution is to upgrade WP User Manager to version 2.9.27 or later, where these access control flaws have been addressed through rigorous code reviews and enhanced validation logic. Until an update can be applied, administrators should implement compensating controls such as Web Application Firewall rules that monitor for anomalous patterns in user management endpoints, particularly looking for requests from non-administrator accounts attempting to modify high-privilege resources. Additionally, enforcing strict role-based access control at the server level and auditing plugin code for proper use of WordPress capability checks like current_user_can is essential. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authorization weaknesses in other plugins or custom themes that may share similar architectural flaws.