CVE-2026-62040 in Restrict User Access Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/09/2026
Missing Authorization vulnerability in DEV Institute Restrict User Access – Membership Plugin with Force restrict-user-access allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Restrict User Access – Membership Plugin with Force: from n/a through 2.8.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the DEV Institute Restrict User Access and Membership plugin, specifically affecting versions ranging from unspecified early releases up to version 2.8.1 when utilizing the force restrict-user-access functionality. This vulnerability is classified as a broken access control issue where the application fails to properly enforce authorization checks for certain actions or data accesses. In this specific context, the flaw allows attackers with lower privilege levels, such as subscribers or contributors, to bypass intended restrictions and perform administrative functions that should be reserved exclusively for users with higher privileges like administrators. The core technical failure lies in the plugin's inability to correctly validate user roles against requested operations when the force restriction feature is active, leading to a state where access control security levels are incorrectly configured or ignored during runtime execution.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from insufficient verification of user permissions before processing sensitive requests. When an authenticated attacker with minimal privileges interacts with specific endpoints or administrative features protected by the plugin's restrictions, the backend logic fails to cross-reference the current session's role against the required authorization level for that action. This oversight enables privilege escalation, allowing low-privileged users to manipulate site settings, manage other user accounts, or access restricted content without proper authentication checks. The issue is particularly dangerous because it exploits the trust placed in client-side restrictions or misconfigured server-side logic that does not strictly enforce role-based access control policies at every step of the request lifecycle.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for any WordPress site relying on this plugin to manage user permissions and membership tiers. Attackers can escalate their privileges from a basic subscriber account to an administrator level, effectively gaining full control over the compromised website. This capability allows them to install malicious plugins, modify core files, exfiltrate sensitive database information containing personal identifiable data of other users, or deface the site's public-facing content. Furthermore, because this is an authentication bypass and authorization flaw, it can be exploited remotely by any authenticated user with even basic registration capabilities on the target platform, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for malicious actors compared to vulnerabilities requiring unauthenticated access or complex exploitation chains.
This vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Assignment, and falls under the broader category of CWE-862, Missing Authorization. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this behavior maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, specifically Valid Accounts, as it involves using legitimate credentials with insufficient privileges to gain unauthorized access through logical flaws rather than credential theft or brute force attacks. The exploitation path typically follows the pattern of initial access via valid low-privileged accounts followed by privilege escalation due to broken access controls.
To mitigate this risk, site administrators must immediately update the DEV Institute Restrict User Access – Membership Plugin to a version later than 2.8.1 where these authorization checks have been corrected and enforced strictly on the server side. Until an official patch is available or if updating is not feasible due to compatibility constraints, it is advisable to disable the force restrict-user-access feature entirely to prevent exploitation of this specific logic flaw. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall can provide a layer of defense by monitoring for anomalous requests that attempt to access administrative endpoints from low-privileged user sessions. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on role-based access control are recommended to identify similar misconfigurations in other plugins or custom code within the WordPress environment.