CVE-2026-118083 in Crowdfunding Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
Unauthenticated Sensitive Data Exposure in WP Crowdfunding <= 2.2.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unauthenticated sensitive data exposure within WP Crowdfunding versions up to and including 2.2.2 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms for the WordPress plugin ecosystem. This flaw allows any remote, unauthenticated attacker to retrieve confidential information from the targeted web application without requiring valid credentials or prior authentication. In the context of modern web security, such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they bypass the fundamental assumption that sensitive data is protected behind an authenticated gateway. The presence of this vulnerability indicates a significant lapse in server-side validation and authorization checks when handling requests related to crowdfunding campaigns, donor information, or financial transaction details hosted on WordPress sites utilizing this specific plugin version.
From a technical perspective, the root cause typically stems from improper implementation of access control logic within the plugin's API endpoints or administrative-ajax handlers. These interfaces often process user input to fetch data but fail to verify whether the requesting entity possesses the necessary permissions to view that information. In many cases involving WordPress plugins, this manifests as missing checks for current_user_can capabilities or failure to validate nonces where appropriate, although in unauthenticated scenarios, the primary issue is usually the absence of any authentication requirement at all. An attacker can craft specific HTTP requests targeting these endpoints directly, exploiting the lack of server-side verification to extract structured data that was intended only for authenticated administrators or verified contributors. This aligns closely with CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, which categorizes vulnerabilities where information is disclosed in a manner that does not comply with expected security policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage and can lead to severe consequences for both website owners and their users. Exposed sensitive data may include personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and potentially payment details if the plugin integrates directly with payment gateways without proper abstraction layers. For crowdfunding platforms, this could also reveal campaign performance metrics, donor lists, or internal notes regarding project management. Such exposure facilitates further attacks including social engineering campaigns where attackers use leaked data to craft convincing phishing messages targeting donors or administrators. Additionally, knowledge of specific version numbers and exposed endpoints aids in reconnaissance for more sophisticated exploits like SQL injection or cross-site scripting if other vulnerabilities exist within the same application stack. This scenario is often associated with ATT&CK technique T1005: Data from Local System, where adversaries seek to gather information directly from compromised systems to support subsequent phases of an intrusion campaign.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates and defensive configuration changes. The most effective solution is to upgrade WP Crowdfunding to a version greater than 2.2.2 immediately after verifying compatibility with the rest of the WordPress installation, as developers typically release patches that enforce proper authentication checks on previously vulnerable endpoints. For organizations unable to update instantly due to dependency conflicts or testing requirements, temporary mitigations should include restricting access to wp-admin and critical plugin directories via web server configuration files such as .htaccess for Apache or nginx rules. Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) can also help by detecting and blocking anomalous requests that attempt to probe these endpoints with unauthenticated parameters. Furthermore, regular security audits using static application security testing tools can identify similar access control flaws in custom code before they are deployed into production environments. Continuous monitoring of server logs for unusual patterns of data retrieval from administrative interfaces provides an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts.