CVE-2026-11872 in Clever Mega Menu Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/02/2026
The Clever Mega Menu for Visual Composer WordPress plugin through 1.0.1 does not perform a nonce or capability check in an AJAX action that updates navigation menu item metadata, allowing any authenticated user, including Subscribers, to overwrite menu item content and settings that are rendered in the site's public navigation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2026
The vulnerability exists within the Clever Mega Menu for Visual Composer WordPress plugin version 1.0.1 and earlier, where a critical security flaw allows unauthorized modification of navigation menu items through an improperly secured AJAX endpoint. This issue stems from the absence of proper nonce verification and capability checks during the menu item metadata update process, creating a privilege escalation vulnerability that affects all authenticated users regardless of their role level.
The technical implementation flaw resides in the plugin's AJAX handler which fails to validate user permissions before processing menu updates. Any authenticated WordPress user including low-privilege subscribers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests to modify navigation menu items that are publicly displayed on the website. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability categorized under CWE-863, where insufficient checks allow unauthorized access to restricted functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content modification as it enables attackers to manipulate public-facing navigation elements in ways that can disrupt user experience, redirect traffic to malicious sites, or provide unauthorized access to sensitive areas of the website. Attackers could potentially insert links to phishing pages, modify menu item URLs to point to harmful destinations, or alter menu structure to confuse visitors and compromise the site's integrity.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers legitimate credentials and privileges gained through the exploitation of unpatched software components. The flaw represents a significant risk for WordPress installations where users may not have proper role management or security monitoring in place to detect unauthorized menu modifications. Organizations using this plugin face potential reputational damage, user trust erosion, and increased attack surface expansion.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate patching to the latest available version of the plugin, implementing proper capability checks in the AJAX endpoint, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all installed WordPress plugins. Additionally, administrators should enforce strict role-based access controls and monitor for unauthorized modifications to site navigation elements through automated security monitoring tools that can detect suspicious activity patterns in menu item updates.