CVE-2026-57731 in Flatsome Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/02/2026
Contributor Broken Access Control in Flatsome <= 3.20.5 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2026
The Flatsome theme for wordpress represents one of the most widely deployed ecommerce solutions in the wordpress ecosystem with over 100k installations reported across various online stores. This particular vulnerability manifests as a broken access control flaw within versions up to and including 3.20.5, creating a critical security gap that directly undermines the integrity of user authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user privileges when processing requests related to theme customization and administrative functions, allowing unauthorized users to bypass normal access controls. This issue particularly affects the theme's ability to properly authenticate and authorize users attempting to modify core configuration settings or access restricted administrative panels.
The technical implementation of this broken access control vulnerability operates through a fundamental flaw in how the theme handles user role validation during specific administrative operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from privileged users, thereby gaining unauthorized access to functions typically restricted to administrators or editors. The vulnerability specifically affects the theme's customizer functionality where users with lower privileges can manipulate core settings that should only be accessible to authenticated administrators. This flaw directly maps to CWE-285 which defines improper authorization within software systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 004 related to valid accounts used for unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates potential pathways for complete system compromise through lateral movement and further exploitation. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw could manipulate core theme settings, potentially introducing backdoors or malicious code execution points within the wordpress installation. The vulnerability also enables data manipulation attacks where unauthorized users might alter product configurations, pricing structures, or customer information. Additionally, this access control failure provides a foundation for more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation to full administrative control over the entire wordpress site, making it particularly dangerous for online retailers handling sensitive customer data and financial transactions.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to Flatsome version 3.20.6 or later where the access control mechanisms have been properly implemented and validated through security testing. Organizations should also implement network-level monitoring to detect anomalous administrative requests that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual patterns of theme customization activities. Security teams must conduct comprehensive penetration testing specifically targeting user authorization flows within wordpress themes and plugins, ensuring proper validation of user privileges before executing any administrative functions. The implementation of principle of least privilege across all wordpress installations remains critical, limiting user permissions to only those necessary for their specific roles while maintaining robust audit logging for all administrative activities.
This vulnerability demonstrates the persistent challenge of access control implementation in complex web applications where theme and plugin developers may inadvertently create security gaps through inadequate input validation or flawed authorization logic. The impact extends beyond individual installations to potentially affect entire wordpress ecosystems where similar themes and plugins might share common architectural flaws. Organizations should consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools that specifically target access control issues within content management systems, as these types of vulnerabilities often remain undetected during routine security assessments. Regular security audits of third-party themes and plugins become essential practices for maintaining overall system integrity, particularly given the widespread adoption of wordpress themes like Flatsome across commercial and enterprise environments where security controls must meet stringent compliance requirements.