CVE-2026-73352 in GiveWP Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/18/2026
Unauthenticated Broken Access Control in GiveWP <= 4.16.5.1 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unbroken access control issue within GiveWP, specifically affecting versions up to and including 4.16.5.1, represents a critical failure in the application's authorization logic that allows attackers to perform actions without proper authentication or with insufficient privileges. This class of flaw is formally categorized under CWE-287, which describes Improper Authentication, and more broadly aligns with CWE-862, Missing Authorization Check. In the context of web applications like GiveWP, a popular donation plugin for WordPress, such vulnerabilities are particularly severe because they can expose sensitive donor data, financial transaction records, or administrative settings to unauthorized parties. The core technical flaw typically stems from the application failing to verify that the user initiating an action has the requisite permissions before executing state-changing operations on the server side. Instead of relying solely on client-side checks which can be easily bypassed by modifying HTTP requests, a secure implementation must enforce access control policies at every point where data is accessed or modified.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability often manifests through insecure direct object references or flawed role-based access control mechanisms within the plugin's API endpoints or AJAX handlers. An attacker can exploit this by crafting specific HTTP requests that target internal functions designed for administrators or authenticated users but are inadvertently exposed to unauthenticated actors. For instance, if an endpoint processes donation data or updates user profiles without verifying the session token or capability of the requester, it becomes a vector for unauthorized modification. This aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate credentials or exploit missing checks to impersonate valid users, although in this specific case, the lack of authentication requirement makes it even more severe as no credentials are needed at all. The exploitation path usually involves identifying an API endpoint that handles sensitive operations and sending a request with parameters intended for privileged actions but without the necessary security headers or session cookies required by the system's design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, potentially leading to data breaches, financial fraud, and complete compromise of the WordPress installation hosting the GiveWP plugin. Attackers can manipulate donation amounts, redirect funds to malicious accounts, delete donor records, or escalate their privileges within the application environment. Since GiveWP handles sensitive personal information including names, email addresses, and payment details, a breach could result in severe reputational damage for organizations relying on it for fundraising efforts and potential legal consequences under data protection regulations such as GDPR or CCPA due to the exposure of personally identifiable information. Furthermore, if the vulnerability allows for arbitrary file writes or code execution through subsequent exploitation chains, it could lead to full server compromise, turning a simple access control flaw into a critical security incident affecting the entire infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading GiveWP to version 4.16.5.2 or later where these authorization checks have been corrected and enforced properly at the backend level. In addition to updating the software, administrators should implement defense-in-depth measures such as Web Application Firewalls that can detect anomalous request patterns indicative of access control bypass attempts. It is also advisable to review server logs for any signs of exploitation prior to patching, ensuring that no unauthorized changes have been made to donation records or user accounts. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on authorization flaws are recommended to identify similar weaknesses in other plugins or custom code within the WordPress ecosystem, as broken access control remains one of the most prevalent and dangerous vulnerabilities in modern web applications according to OWASP Top 10 listings.