CVE-2026-16948 in Solace Extra Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/08/2026
The Solace Extra WordPress plugin before 1.6.1 does not perform capability checks in several of its AJAX actions and exposes the nonce that protects them on admin pages reachable by low-privileged users, allowing users with a role as low as Subscriber to modify site-wide presentation settings and delete imported site-builder content.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2026
The vulnerability in the Solace Extra WordPress plugin affects versions prior to 1.6.1 and represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that undermines the plugin's security model. This issue stems from insufficient capability checks within multiple AJAX actions, which are designed to handle administrative functions through asynchronous requests. The plugin fails to validate user permissions before executing privileged operations, creating an avenue for low-privileged users to perform actions typically restricted to administrators. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's ability to enforce role-based access controls, allowing unauthorized modifications to core site presentation settings and content management functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the exposure of nonces on admin pages that are accessible to subscribers. Nonces in WordPress serve as cryptographic tokens that prevent cross-site request forgery attacks by ensuring that requests originate from legitimate sources within the application. However, in this case, the plugin exposes these protective tokens on pages reachable by users with subscriber-level privileges, effectively nullifying their security purpose. This exposure allows malicious actors to craft forged requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress system while executing unauthorized administrative actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to modify site-wide presentation settings that control how content appears across the entire website. These modifications can include altering theme options, changing layout configurations, and adjusting visual elements that affect user experience and potentially compromise the site's security posture. Additionally, the ability to delete imported site-builder content represents a significant data integrity threat, as it allows attackers to remove custom designs, layouts, and other imported assets that may contain sensitive information or represent substantial development effort.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization checks in software systems, and demonstrates how improper access control implementation can lead to privilege escalation attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1496 Resource Hijacking, as it allows attackers to leverage low-privileged accounts to perform administrative functions. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond gaining access to a subscriber account, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 1.6.1 or later, which contain the necessary capability checks and nonce protection fixes. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits of installed plugins, monitoring for unauthorized changes to site settings, and ensuring proper user role management through WordPress's built-in capabilities system. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that go beyond basic authentication to include robust authorization controls and proper input validation across all plugin components, particularly those handling AJAX requests where traditional security measures may be insufficient.