CVE-2026-1675 in Advanced Country Blocker Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/07/2026
The Advanced Country Blocker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.3.1 due to the use of a predictable default value for the secret bypass key created during installation without requiring users to change it. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to bypass the geolocation blocking mechanism by appending the key to any URL on sites where the administrator has not changed the default value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2026
The Advanced Country Blocker plugin for WordPress represents a critical security vulnerability that undermines fundamental access control mechanisms through a predictable default configuration. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.3.1, creating a persistent backdoor that allows unauthorized actors to circumvent geolocation restrictions without proper authentication. The flaw stems from the plugin's installation process which generates a secret bypass key with a default value that remains unchanged unless explicitly modified by the administrator. This default key serves as a hardcoded access point that can be discovered and exploited by any attacker who gains knowledge of the predictable value, effectively neutralizing the entire geolocation blocking functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-320, which addresses the use of hard-coded cryptographic keys or secret values in security-critical applications. The predictable nature of the bypass key creates a condition where the security of the system relies on the administrator's awareness and action rather than the system's inherent security controls. This represents a fundamental flaw in the plugin's design philosophy, as it assumes that administrators will remember to change default values, which is rarely the case in production environments. The vulnerability operates at the authorization layer, allowing attackers to bypass the geolocation restrictions that are typically enforced through proper authentication mechanisms, thereby enabling unauthorized access to content or services that should be restricted based on geographic location.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass broader security implications for organizations relying on geolocation controls for compliance, content restriction, or business logic enforcement. Attackers can exploit this flaw to access restricted content, bypass regional licensing agreements, or gain access to services that should be limited to specific geographic areas. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend on geolocation blocking for regulatory compliance, intellectual property protection, or business continuity requirements. Given that the bypass key remains unchanged unless manually configured, the vulnerability persists across plugin updates and system reboots, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited indefinitely without requiring additional compromise of the target system.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies that include changing the default bypass key to a cryptographically secure random value, implementing network-level restrictions to prevent unauthorized access, and conducting comprehensive security audits to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of the plugin. The recommended approach involves generating new secret keys using strong random number generators and ensuring that all administrators are educated on the importance of changing default configurations. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized access attempts or unusual traffic patterns may help identify exploitation attempts. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, particularly focusing on secure configuration management and authentication controls. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, where attackers leverage predictable default values to maintain persistent access and bypass security controls that should normally prevent unauthorized actions.