CVE-2026-13600 in AutoNetTV Relay Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
The AutoNetTV Relay WordPress plugin before 3.0.14 does not perform any capability or authentication check before setting a WordPress administrator authentication cookie during its scheduled content-synchronization task. On server configurations where the scheduled task executes before the HTTP response is committed, an unauthenticated attacker who triggers the due task can receive the administrator's session cookie and gain administrator access without credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The AutoNetTV Relay WordPress plugin vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that exploits improper access control mechanisms within the plugin's scheduled task execution. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 3014 and stems from the absence of capability checks or authentication verification before setting administrative session cookies during content synchronization operations. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in privilege management where the plugin assumes elevated permissions without proper validation, creating an avenue for unauthorized access to administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs specifically within the plugin's cron job execution context where scheduled tasks run with elevated privileges. When the system processes the content-synchronization task, it fails to verify whether the executing user possesses appropriate administrative capabilities before proceeding with authentication cookie manipulation. This design oversight allows attackers to trigger the scheduled task through legitimate plugin interfaces and receive administrative session cookies in response. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates entirely outside normal authentication flows and can be exploited without prior knowledge of valid credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables complete administrative control over affected WordPress installations. An unauthenticated attacker who can trigger the scheduled task execution gains immediate access to all administrative functions including plugin management, theme customization, user account modification, content deletion, and system configuration changes. The timing aspect of exploitation is critical since the vulnerability requires specific server configurations where cron jobs execute before HTTP response commitment, making it more challenging to exploit but still viable in many hosting environments. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization issues and represents a classic example of privilege escalation through insufficient access control.
The attack vector for this vulnerability typically involves triggering the scheduled content synchronization task through legitimate plugin interfaces or automated processes that the attacker can initiate. Once the task executes with administrative privileges, the resulting session cookie can be captured and used to establish persistent administrative sessions without requiring authentication. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through compromised credentials, though in this case the credential compromise occurs through improper access control rather than traditional credential theft methods. Organizations using vulnerable versions of AutoNetTV Relay plugin face significant risk of complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments where WordPress installations reside.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate plugin updates to version 3.0.14 or later which implements proper authentication checks before setting administrative session cookies. Administrators should also implement additional monitoring for scheduled task execution and unusual authentication patterns within their WordPress installations. The fix addresses the core issue by enforcing capability verification before any administrative privilege operations, ensuring that only authenticated users with appropriate permissions can trigger tasks that manipulate session cookies. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious task triggering activities and maintain regular security audits of installed plugins to identify similar access control flaws across their WordPress environments.