CVE-2026-78267 in TranslatePress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2026
Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation in TranslatePress <= 3.3.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unauthenticated privilege escalation flaw within TranslatePress versions prior to or equal to 3.3.2 represents a critical security deficiency that allows attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to WordPress installations without requiring valid credentials. This specific class of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-269, which denotes Improper Control of Currency Context for Privilege Contraction and Expansion, specifically highlighting the failure to enforce proper authorization checks before allowing actions that modify system state or user roles. In the context of web application security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, this behavior aligns with techniques related to Account Manipulation and potentially T1078 Valid Accounts if combined with other exploitation vectors, though in this specific instance, the lack of authentication makes it a direct path to administrative control via unauthorized privilege elevation.
TranslatePress is a widely used plugin for WordPress that facilitates multilingual website creation by allowing users to translate content directly on the frontend interface. The core functionality relies heavily on AJAX requests and REST API endpoints to handle dynamic updates to translation data, settings, and user configurations. In versions up to 3.3.2, the implementation of these endpoints failed to adequately verify whether the initiating request originated from an authenticated administrator or a legitimate session with appropriate permissions. This oversight means that any actor interacting with the application over HTTP can invoke internal functions designed exclusively for privileged users. The technical flaw typically resides in the handling of specific AJAX actions where capability checks are either missing, bypassed through parameter manipulation, or incorrectly evaluated against non-existent user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and immediate. An attacker who exploits this unauthenticated privilege escalation can assume the role of an administrator within the WordPress environment. Once administrative privileges are obtained, the attacker gains full control over the website's backend infrastructure. This includes the ability to install malicious plugins or themes, modify core files, create new user accounts with elevated permissions, and access sensitive database information containing user credentials, personal data, and business logic. Furthermore, because TranslatePress often handles content translation which may include customer-facing text, compromising this plugin can also lead to defacement of public-facing pages by injecting malicious scripts or phishing links into the translated content, thereby damaging organizational reputation and potentially facilitating further attacks against end-users visiting the site.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate remediation through software updates. Administrators running TranslatePress versions 3.3.2 or earlier must upgrade to a patched version where the developers have implemented strict capability verification on all administrative endpoints and AJAX handlers. If an update is not immediately feasible, temporary mitigation measures include restricting access to wp-admin directories via IP whitelisting if possible, disabling XML-RPC functionality which can sometimes be leveraged in conjunction with such flaws, and ensuring that no default or weak administrator passwords are present. Additionally, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured to detect anomalous patterns of privilege escalation attempts can provide an additional layer of defense by blocking requests that attempt to invoke administrative functions without valid session tokens. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authorization flaws in other plugins or custom code within the WordPress ecosystem, ensuring a holistic approach to application security hygiene.