CVE-2026-12241 in Advanced Woo Labels Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/01/2026
The Advanced Woo Labels – Product Labels & Badges for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to an improperly secure capability check on the 'save_meta_boxes' function in all versions up to, and including, 2.51. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to create AWS labels that are rendered without proper escaping. The vulnerability was partially patched in version 2.46.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2026
The Advanced Woo Labels plugin for WordPress contains a critical security flaw related to insufficient authorization checks within its administrative functionality. Specifically, the save_meta_boxes function lacks proper capability verification, allowing users with Contributor-level access or higher to perform actions that should be restricted to administrators or other privileged roles. This misconfiguration represents a classic case of broken access control where the application fails to enforce appropriate restrictions on authenticated users who possess elevated but limited permissions. The vulnerability exists in all versions up through 2.51, indicating a persistent issue that was only partially addressed in version 2.46 without fully resolving the underlying authorization logic gap.
From a technical perspective, this flaw enables unauthorized data modification by allowing lower-privileged accounts to manipulate plugin settings and create product labels. Because the capability check is improperly secured, these users can bypass intended restrictions on administrative features. The consequence of this access violation extends beyond simple configuration changes; it directly impacts how content is rendered within the WordPress environment. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability are able to inject or modify label data in ways that circumvent standard security filters designed to prevent code execution and cross-site scripting attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability centers on stored Cross-Site Scripting risks due to improper output escaping. When an attacker with Contributor-level access creates a product label, the input is not adequately sanitized before being displayed on the frontend or backend interfaces. This lack of proper escaping means that malicious scripts embedded within the label data can execute in the context of other users viewing those products. Such execution allows for session hijacking, credential theft, defacement, and redirection to malicious sites. Since this occurs via stored content, the attack is persistent and affects every user who views the compromised product page until the malicious label is removed by an administrator.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management as it involves a failure to enforce proper authorization checks for specific functions. Furthermore, because the resulting execution of arbitrary web scripts constitutes stored cross-site scripting, it maps directly to CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation and ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter via browser-based script injection. The partial patch in version 2.46 likely addressed some aspects but left the core authorization logic intact for lower-level roles, necessitating a complete review of capability checks across all administrative endpoints within the plugin codebase.
To mitigate this risk, site administrators should immediately update to the latest patched version that fully resolves the save_meta_boxes authorization flaw. Until an upgrade is feasible, it is advisable to restrict Contributor and higher user accounts from accessing the Advanced Woo Labels settings area if possible through role management plugins or custom capabilities adjustments. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with robust XSS detection rules can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts targeting this specific input vector. Regular security audits focusing on capability checks in all admin-facing functions are recommended to prevent similar privilege escalation issues in future updates.