CVE-2026-19840 in Notiqoo Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/10/2026
The Notiqoo WordPress plugin before 1.4.14 does not have capability checks on several of its AJAX actions and builds the name of the option to write from user input, allowing users with a role as low as contributor to modify arbitrary WordPress options, which can be used to deactivate Notiqoo WordPress plugin before 1.4.14 and to lock every administrator out of the site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2026
The vulnerability identified in versions of the Notiqoo WordPress plugin prior to release 1.4.14 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms, specifically manifesting as an insecure direct object reference combined with insufficient privilege verification on server-side AJAX endpoints. In secure web application architecture, any action triggered by user input must be validated against the current user's capabilities and roles before execution. However, this plugin fails to implement necessary capability checks for several of its administrative AJAX actions. This omission allows authenticated users possessing even minimal privileges, such as the contributor role, which is typically intended only for drafting content without access to site administration features, to interact directly with backend functions that should be restricted to administrators or higher-level roles.
The technical core of this flaw lies in how the plugin constructs database option names dynamically using unsanitized user input. By allowing external parameters to dictate the specific WordPress options being modified, the attacker gains the ability to write arbitrary values into the wp_options table. This capability is particularly dangerous because it bypasses standard security boundaries that rely on role-based access control. The lack of validation means there is no mechanism to prevent a low-privileged user from targeting critical system configurations or plugin-specific settings that govern administrative functionality and operational state.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, leading directly to service disruption and potential complete loss of administrative access. An attacker can exploit the ability to modify arbitrary options to deactivate the Notiqoo plugin itself, causing immediate functional failure for any features dependent on it. More critically, the attacker can manipulate configuration settings in a way that locks every administrator out of the WordPress dashboard. This effectively results in a denial-of-service condition where site owners are unable to manage their content or apply security patches without resorting to manual database intervention via phpMyAdmin or direct server access, significantly increasing recovery time and complexity during an incident response scenario.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Control, as the application fails to enforce appropriate authority levels for specific actions. It also relates closely to CWE-918, where the server uses client-side input to determine server-side resources without proper validation, leading to an insecure direct object reference. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this behavior maps to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, as it leverages legitimate but low-level credentials to perform unauthorized administrative actions, and potentially T1562, Impair Defenses, by disabling the plugin or locking out defenders from their management interface.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates. Site administrators should upgrade the Notiqoo WordPress plugin to version 1.4.14 or later, where these capability checks and input validations have been implemented. For environments where an immediate update is not feasible due to compatibility concerns, temporary mitigations include restricting access to wp-admin via IP whitelisting if possible, ensuring that only trusted administrators can log in, and auditing the database for any unauthorized changes made through this vector. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with rules targeting suspicious AJAX parameter manipulation can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts while permanent fixes are deployed.