CVE-2026-78536 in Robokassa Payment Gateway for Woocommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/10/2026
Unauthenticated Broken Access Control in Robokassa payment gateway for Woocommerce <= 1.8.9 versions.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unbroken access control issue within the Robokassa payment gateway plugin for WooCommerce, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.8.9, represents a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental integrity of transaction processing mechanisms. This weakness stems from insufficient server-side validation of user permissions when handling requests related to payment status updates or callback notifications. In typical e-commerce architectures, sensitive operations such as confirming order completion or updating financial records must be strictly gated behind authentication and authorization checks to ensure that only authorized entities can modify state data. However, in this specific implementation, the application fails to verify whether the incoming request originates from a legitimate source or possesses valid administrative privileges before executing critical logic changes. This oversight allows any external actor with network connectivity to interact directly with these endpoints without providing valid credentials or tokens, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries established by the plugin developers and the underlying WordPress framework.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns closely with CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control, as well as CWE-862, Missing Authorization Check. The core of the issue lies in the lack of rigorous verification mechanisms during the processing of asynchronous payment callbacks or manual status updates initiated by end-users who should not have such privileges. Attackers can exploit this gap by crafting malicious HTTP requests that simulate legitimate payment confirmations from the Robokassa gateway. By manipulating parameters within these requests, an adversary can force the system to mark orders as paid even if no actual financial transaction has occurred or authorized a transfer of funds. This capability transforms what should be a passive receipt of information into an active vector for unauthorized state manipulation, allowing attackers to alter database records directly through web interface interactions that were not designed for public consumption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, primarily affecting the financial integrity and trustworthiness of online stores utilizing the affected plugin version. The most immediate consequence is the potential for fraudulent order fulfillment, where customers receive goods or services without paying, leading to direct revenue loss for merchants. Furthermore, attackers can exploit this access control failure to inflate sales figures artificially by marking non-existent orders as completed, which distorts business analytics and inventory management systems. In more sophisticated attack scenarios, this vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for further exploitation within the WordPress environment. Since many plugins operate with elevated privileges or have shared database contexts, gaining unauthorized write access to order data might facilitate privilege escalation attacks against other components of the web application stack, potentially leading to full site compromise if additional vulnerabilities are present in related modules.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary and most effective solution is to upgrade the Robokassa payment gateway plugin to a version newer than 1.8.9, where developers have presumably implemented proper authorization checks and input validation routines to restrict access to sensitive endpoints. For organizations unable to update immediately due to compatibility constraints or other operational dependencies, temporary mitigations should include restricting access to relevant API endpoints via web application firewall rules that validate source IP addresses against known legitimate gateway ranges if applicable, although this is less reliable than code-level fixes. Additionally, implementing strict logging and monitoring for unusual patterns in order status changes can help detect exploitation attempts early. It is also advisable to review the broader security posture of the WooCommerce installation by ensuring all other plugins are updated, as unpatched access control flaws often coexist with other weaknesses such as cross-site scripting or SQL injection vulnerabilities that could compound the risk profile significantly.