CVE-2026-25367 in CitiLights Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/19/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in NooTheme CitiLights noo-citilights allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects CitiLights: from n/a through < 3.7.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-25367 represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the NooTheme CitiLights WordPress plugin, specifically impacting versions prior to 3.7.2. This issue stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels that fail to properly validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive administrative functions. The vulnerability resides in the plugin's core authorization mechanisms, where proper checks are either absent or improperly implemented, allowing unauthorized users to bypass standard security controls. Such a flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in the plugin's security architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through insufficient validation of user roles and capabilities within the CitiLights plugin framework. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating request parameters or leveraging existing access points to gain unauthorized access to administrative features that should only be available to privileged users. The flaw operates at the application level where proper access control checks are either missing entirely or fail to properly verify user credentials and permissions. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks, where unauthenticated or low-privileged users can potentially access sensitive configuration options, modify content, or perform administrative actions. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's handling of security contexts during user authentication and authorization processes, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the plugin is widely deployed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating potential risks for data integrity and system confidentiality. An attacker exploiting this weakness could compromise the entire WordPress installation if the plugin is used for critical administrative functions. The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the plugin's configuration settings, potentially leading to data loss, content tampering, or the installation of malicious code. Additionally, the flaw could facilitate further attacks by providing a foothold for lateral movement within the system, as compromised administrative access often provides access to other system components. The affected versions through 3.7.2 indicate that this issue has persisted for multiple releases, suggesting a systemic problem in the plugin's security implementation rather than a one-time coding error.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate patching to version 3.7.2 or later, which should contain proper authorization checks and access control validation. Organizations should implement comprehensive security monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts and ensure proper user role assignments are maintained. The fix should address the underlying CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) vulnerability by implementing robust access control mechanisms that verify user permissions before executing privileged operations. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security audits of all installed plugins to identify similar misconfigurations and ensure proper security hardening practices are followed. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1496 (Resource Hijacking) as it enables attackers to leverage compromised accounts or system access to escalate privileges and potentially compromise additional resources.