CVE-2026-85133 in WPLP Cookie Consent Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
The WPLP Cookie Consent WordPress plugin before 4.4.2 does not perform nonce or capability checks on several of its settings AJAX actions, allowing any authenticated user, such as a subscriber, to read and destroy scan data belonging to the administrator and to overwrite the WPLP Cookie Consent WordPress plugin before 4.4.2's stored configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified in versions of the WPLP Cookie Consent WordPress plugin prior to version 4.4.2 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms, specifically involving improper authorization checks on server-side AJAX endpoints. This flaw allows authenticated users with low-privilege roles, such as subscribers or contributors, to execute administrative functions that should be restricted exclusively to administrators. The core technical issue stems from the absence of nonce verification and capability validation within several settings-related AJAX actions handled by the plugin. In a secure WordPress environment, any action modifying site configuration must verify both the authenticity of the request via a unique cryptographic token known as a nonce and ensure the requesting user possesses the necessary permissions to perform that specific operation. By omitting these checks, the application fails to enforce role-based access control effectively, thereby exposing sensitive administrative interfaces to unauthorized exploitation by any logged-in visitor with minimal privileges.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables two distinct categories of malicious activity: data destruction and configuration tampering. First, attackers can exploit the lack of authorization controls to read scan data belonging to the administrator. This constitutes a breach of confidentiality where sensitive information regarding website security scans is exposed to lower-level users who have no legitimate business need for such data. Second, and more critically, the attacker can overwrite the plugin's stored configuration settings. Since this plugin manages cookie consent banners which are often required for compliance with regulations like GDPR or CCPA, altering these configurations could disrupt legal compliance workflows, change privacy policy displays, or disable security features intended to protect user data. This manipulation of state represents a significant integrity violation that undermines the trustworthiness of the website's administrative backend and its adherence to regulatory standards.
The technical classification of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control, specifically highlighting failures in authorization checks for critical functions. Furthermore, within the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this behavior maps directly to T1078 Valid Accounts and potentially T1531 Account Access Removal if the attacker uses these capabilities to disrupt administrative operations or escalate privileges through subsequent exploitation chains involving other vulnerabilities. The absence of nonce checks also relates closely to CWE-352 Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), as the lack of anti-replay tokens makes it easier for an attacker to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the server, although in this specific case, the primary vector is likely direct exploitation by authenticated users rather than cross-site scripting attacks.
To mitigate this vulnerability and prevent further exploitation, immediate action must be taken to update the WPLP Cookie Consent plugin to version 4.4.2 or later where these authorization checks have been properly implemented. For organizations unable to patch immediately due to compatibility concerns with other plugins or themes, a temporary workaround involves restricting access to the WordPress admin area for all users except administrators and editors using server-level firewall rules or security plugins that enforce strict role-based restrictions on AJAX endpoints. Additionally, implementing robust input validation and ensuring that all administrative actions require explicit capability verification will harden the application against similar future vulnerabilities. Regular auditing of plugin code for proper nonce usage and permission checks is essential to maintain a secure WordPress environment and protect both data integrity and user privacy compliance.