CVE-2026-66647 in Homlisti Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
Subscriber Broken Access Control in Homlisti <= 3.1.2 versions.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The vulnerability identified as broken access control within Homelisti versions prior to or equal to 3.1.2 represents a critical flaw in the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically affecting subscriber-level permissions. This type of security defect allows unauthorized users to interact with resources or perform actions that they should not be permitted to execute based on their assigned role. In the context of Homelisti, which serves as an online directory for listing businesses and services, this flaw likely enables a malicious actor who possesses valid but limited credentials, such as those associated with a standard subscriber account, to bypass intended restrictions. The core technical issue stems from insufficient server-side validation of user privileges when processing requests that modify or access sensitive data structures within the application's database.
From a technical perspective, broken access control vulnerabilities often arise due to insecure direct object references or improper enforcement of role-based access controls on the backend logic. When a subscriber attempts to perform an action typically reserved for administrators or higher-tier users, such as editing another user’s listing, changing account settings beyond their scope, or accessing administrative panels, the application fails to verify that the authenticated session has the requisite authority. This oversight allows the request to be processed successfully by the server, leading to unauthorized data manipulation. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it exploits legitimate authentication tokens rather than bypassing them entirely, making detection through standard intrusion prevention systems more challenging as the traffic appears valid from an identity perspective but invalid in terms of privilege level.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for both service providers and end-users relying on Homelisti. An attacker could exploit this flaw to deface business listings by injecting malicious content or misleading information, thereby damaging the reputation of listed entities. Furthermore, if the application stores sensitive contact details or internal notes associated with subscriber accounts, an unauthorized user might be able to view or exfiltrate this private data, leading to privacy violations and potential compliance issues under regulations such as GDPR. In more severe scenarios, depending on how the underlying database is structured, privilege escalation could allow a low-privileged account to gain administrative control over the platform, potentially compromising the entire system's integrity by allowing the installation of web shells or modification of global configuration settings that affect all users.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which classifies Improper Privilege Management, and specifically relates to CWE-862, Missing Authorization checks in critical code paths. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this behavior corresponds to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate credentials to move laterally or escalate privileges within a system without triggering immediate alarms associated with brute-force attacks or credential stuffing. The exploitation typically involves crafting HTTP requests that manipulate parameters related to user IDs or role identifiers, testing whether the server enforces strict boundaries between different subscriber tiers.
To mitigate this risk, developers must implement robust server-side authorization checks for every endpoint and action within the application logic. It is essential to enforce a principle of least privilege by ensuring that each request explicitly verifies the current user's permissions against the requested resource before processing any changes. Input validation should be complemented by strict access control lists or role-based access control matrices that are evaluated independently of client-side restrictions, which can easily be bypassed using browser developer tools or proxy interceptors like Burp Suite. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing focused on privilege escalation paths are recommended to identify similar gaps in other modules of the Homelisti platform before they can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to compromise user data or disrupt service availability.