CVE-2026-19782 in WPS Bidouille Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
The WPS Bidouille WordPress plugin before 1.33.5 does not have proper authorisation checks in an AJAX action, allowing any authenticated user, such as a subscriber, to retrieve the email addresses of all registered users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The vulnerability identified in versions of the WPS Bidouille WordPress plugin prior to release 1.33.5 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within an AJAX endpoint. This flaw stems from the absence of proper authorization checks, which are essential for verifying that a user has the requisite permissions to execute specific actions or access sensitive data. In this instance, the affected AJAX action does not validate whether the requesting user possesses administrative privileges or any elevated role beyond basic subscriber status. Consequently, the system fails to enforce the principle of least privilege, allowing users with minimal capabilities to interact with functionality intended for higher-privileged accounts. This type of misconfiguration is a classic example of broken access control, where the software relies on client-side restrictions or lacks server-side validation entirely, thereby exposing internal logic and data structures to unauthorized entities.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control, specifically falling under subcategories related to insufficient authorization checks for critical functions. The exploitation vector is straightforward: an attacker who has obtained valid credentials for even the lowest-level user account on the WordPress site can craft specific HTTP requests targeting the vulnerable AJAX endpoint. Because the server does not verify the role or capability of the authenticated session before processing the request, it proceeds to execute the action and return sensitive information. This lack of validation allows any logged-in user to bypass intended security boundaries without needing to exploit a separate authentication flaw or perform privilege escalation attacks first. The simplicity of this attack vector makes it particularly dangerous in shared hosting environments or sites with high turnover rates where weak credentials might be more prevalent among lower-tier users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, primarily concerning the confidentiality and integrity of user data. By exploiting this flaw, an authenticated subscriber can retrieve a comprehensive list containing the email addresses of all registered users on the platform. This mass disclosure of personally identifiable information violates fundamental privacy principles and exposes the organization to severe regulatory consequences under frameworks such as GDPR or CCPA if personal data is mishandled. Furthermore, obtaining a complete directory of user emails facilitates sophisticated social engineering campaigns, including targeted phishing attacks known as spear-phishing. Attackers can use these email addresses to craft highly convincing messages that appear to originate from trusted sources within the organization, increasing the likelihood of successful credential theft or malware installation. This data also aids in reconnaissance efforts for subsequent attack phases, allowing adversaries to map out user roles and prioritize targets based on their perceived value or access levels.
In terms of threat modeling, this vulnerability maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, specifically the Valid Accounts sub-technique, as it leverages legitimate credentials to gain unauthorized access to resources. It also relates to TA0006, Credential Access, and potentially TA0009, Collection, depending on how the harvested data is utilized. The ability to enumerate user emails effectively turns a standard authenticated session into a powerful tool for information gathering, which is often a precursor to more destructive actions like account takeover or lateral movement within a networked environment. For organizations relying on WordPress plugins for extended functionality, such oversights can undermine the entire security posture of the web application layer, as they provide attackers with low-effort entry points that do not require complex exploit development skills.
To mitigate this vulnerability and prevent similar issues in future developments, immediate action is required to update the WPS Bidouille plugin to version 1.33.5 or later, where these authorization checks have been implemented correctly. Developers must ensure that all AJAX actions enforce strict capability verification using WordPress functions such as current_user_can before processing any requests that involve sensitive data retrieval. Implementing role-based access control at every entry point is crucial for maintaining security integrity. Additionally, organizations should adopt a defense-in-depth strategy by employing Web Application Firewalls to monitor and block anomalous request patterns associated with user enumeration attacks. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on authentication and authorization logic are essential practices to identify and remediate such flaws before they can be exploited in production environments.