CVE-2026-28180 in Mercado Pago Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2026
Unauthenticated Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR) in Mercado Pago payments for WooCommerce <= 8.9.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2026
The vulnerability identified as unauthenticated insecure direct object references within the Mercado Pago payments for WooCommerce plugin affects versions up to and including 8.9.0, representing a critical security weakness that allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and directly access sensitive resources. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-284 which specifically addresses inadequate access control and improper authorization. The flaw enables malicious actors to manipulate object references in application requests without proper authentication, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion within the payment processing system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user permissions when processing payment-related objects and transactions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly accessing URLs or API endpoints that should require authentication or specific authorization levels. In the context of WooCommerce payment processing, this allows unauthorized users to view, modify, or delete payment records, customer information, transaction details, and other sensitive data that should only be accessible to authenticated administrators or authorized personnel. The vulnerability essentially removes the necessary access control checks that should validate whether a user has legitimate permissions to interact with specific objects within the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of payment processing operations within e-commerce environments. Attackers could potentially manipulate transaction records, access customer payment information, or even create fraudulent transactions that would not be properly authenticated. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the trust model of online payment systems and can lead to financial losses, regulatory compliance violations, and significant reputational damage for affected businesses. The attack surface is particularly concerning in WooCommerce environments where payment processing is a core function and customer data protection is paramount.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper authentication and authorization controls at every level of the application architecture, ensuring that all object references are validated against user permissions before any operations are performed. Security measures must include input validation, access control enforcement, and proper session management to prevent unauthorized access to payment-related resources. Organizations should also implement monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect suspicious access patterns and unauthorized attempts to manipulate payment objects. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential compromise, as the attack exploits weaknesses in authentication controls rather than relying on stolen credentials. Regular security updates, proper code review processes, and adherence to secure coding practices are essential to prevent similar issues in future implementations. The affected WooCommerce plugin versions require immediate patching and users should implement additional security controls such as network segmentation and API rate limiting to minimize potential impact from exploitation attempts.