CVE-2026-73377 in Ultimate Maps Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/18/2026
Unauthenticated Broken Access Control in Ultimate Maps by Supsystic < 1.5.0 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unbroken access control issue within the Ultimate Maps plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.5.0, represents a critical security flaw that allows unauthorized users to interact with sensitive administrative functions without valid authentication credentials. This type of vulnerability falls squarely under the category of Broken Access Control, which is consistently ranked as one of the most significant risks in web application security by organizations such as OWASP and CWE. In this specific context, the plugin fails to properly verify whether a user requesting access to certain map-related features or administrative endpoints possesses the necessary privileges, thereby exposing internal logic and data structures to public exploitation.
From a technical perspective, the flaw stems from insufficient server-side validation of user roles and permissions during API requests or AJAX calls handled by the plugin. When an unauthenticated actor sends a request to manipulate map configurations, add markers, or access administrative settings, the application does not adequately check for valid session tokens or administrator-level capabilities before processing the action. This lack of enforcement allows attackers to bypass standard authentication mechanisms entirely, effectively treating any incoming request as if it originated from a logged-in administrator. The absence of proper authorization checks creates a direct pathway for remote code execution potential depending on how the manipulated data is subsequently processed by the underlying WordPress environment or associated database queries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly given the widespread adoption of Ultimate Maps in various web ecosystems. An attacker can exploit this flaw to deface websites, inject malicious scripts into map displays leading to cross-site scripting attacks against end-users, or extract sensitive data stored within the plugin's configuration tables. Furthermore, because WordPress plugins often have broad permissions once authenticated, gaining control over an administrative function via unauthenticated access can serve as a foothold for deeper system compromise. Attackers may use this entry point to escalate privileges further, install additional malware such as web shells, or pivot into other parts of the network infrastructure that rely on the compromised site for trust relationships.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Improper Access Control and is often associated with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts when considering how attackers might leverage stolen credentials later, but in its raw form here it represents direct unauthorized access akin to T1505 Web Shell or initial exploitation vectors described under privilege escalation paths. The failure to enforce role-based access control means that the principle of least privilege is completely disregarded, allowing minimal-privilege users or anonymous entities to perform high-level administrative tasks. This misconfiguration undermines the integrity and confidentiality guarantees expected from secure web applications.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates. Administrators running Ultimate Maps versions older than 1.5.0 should upgrade to the latest patched version where these access control checks have been implemented correctly by the developers. Until an update is applied, temporary mitigations include restricting file permissions on plugin directories to prevent unauthorized modifications and implementing Web Application Firewall rules that block suspicious AJAX requests targeting known vulnerable endpoints associated with this plugin. Additionally, monitoring server logs for unusual patterns of unauthenticated POST or GET requests directed at map-related API paths can help in detecting active exploitation attempts in real-time. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure no other plugins share similar access control deficiencies that could compound the risk profile of the hosting environment.