CVE-2026-27399 in MarketKing Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/23/2026
Unauthenticated Broken Access Control in MarketKing <= 2.1.40 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2026
The vulnerability identified as unauthenticated broken access control in MarketKing versions 2.1.40 and earlier represents a critical security flaw that allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-285 which specifically addresses improper authorization issues within software systems. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of user permissions and session management, where proper validation checks are missing or incorrectly implemented.
MarketKing is a popular WordPress plugin designed for marketplace functionality allowing multiple vendors to operate within a single WooCommerce store environment. The broken access control vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication verification in several key endpoints and administrative functions within the plugin's codebase. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform actions typically restricted to authenticated administrators, including but not limited to modifying vendor settings, accessing sensitive customer data, manipulating product listings, and executing arbitrary code within the WordPress environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it provides attackers with a foothold for further exploitation within the compromised WordPress installation. Once an attacker successfully bypasses the authentication mechanism, they can leverage additional vulnerabilities present in the WordPress ecosystem or other plugins to escalate privileges and gain complete control over the website. This scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which describes legitimate credentials usage as a means of persistence and privilege escalation within target environments.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the plugin's API endpoints and administrative AJAX handlers where user role validation is either absent or improperly executed. The vulnerability typically occurs when the system fails to verify whether a request originates from an authenticated and authorized user before processing sensitive operations. This oversight allows malicious actors to craft requests that appear to come from legitimate administrators, bypassing all security controls designed to protect critical functions.
Organizations running MarketKing versions prior to 2.1.40 should immediately implement mitigations including immediate plugin updates to the latest stable release which addresses the access control issues. Additionally, implementing network-level restrictions such as firewall rules that limit access to administrative endpoints can provide temporary protection while updates are deployed. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in administrative API calls and unauthorized access attempts to vendor management functions. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication checks in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive commerce data within marketplace environments where multiple user roles interact with shared resources.