CVE-2026-97277 in Social Boost Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/01/2026
Subscriber Broken Access Control in Social Boost <= 3.6.2 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2026
The vulnerability identified as Subscriber Broken Access Control within the Social Boost plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 3.6.2, represents a critical failure in server-side access control mechanisms. This flaw allows authenticated users with lower privilege levels, specifically subscribers, to perform actions that are strictly reserved for administrators or higher-privileged roles. In typical web application architectures, role-based access control is enforced by the framework or plugin logic upon receiving requests from clients. However, in this instance, the validation of user capabilities against requested operations is either missing or insufficiently rigorous, leading to a situation where the system trusts client-supplied data regarding user identity and permissions without adequate server-side verification. This type of vulnerability aligns directly with CWE-269, which describes Improper Privilege Control, as well as CWE-862, Missing Authorization, highlighting the fundamental breakdown in ensuring that users can only access resources appropriate to their assigned role within the application ecosystem.
From a technical perspective, this broken access control likely manifests through endpoints or API calls handled by Social Boost that do not properly check if the current user possesses the necessary capabilities before executing administrative functions. An attacker who has obtained subscriber-level credentials could manipulate HTTP requests to trigger these unprotected operations. This might include modifying plugin settings, accessing sensitive database tables related to social media integration, or potentially escalating privileges further depending on how other parts of the application interact with this flaw. The absence of robust authorization checks means that any authenticated user can bypass intended restrictions and execute commands intended for site administrators. Such a scenario is particularly dangerous because subscriber accounts are often easier to obtain through registration processes compared to administrative accounts, thereby expanding the potential attack surface significantly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized configuration changes. If an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the entire WordPress installation. This includes altering social media posting schedules, stealing API keys used for external service integrations, or injecting malicious content that appears legitimate due to its administrative origin. Furthermore, if the plugin interacts with user data stored in the database, there is a risk of unauthorized access to personal information belonging to other site visitors, potentially violating privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA depending on the jurisdiction and nature of the data processed. The ability for low-privileged users to perform high-level actions undermines the trust model of the application and can lead to defacement, data exfiltration, or use of the compromised server as a pivot point for further attacks against internal networks if the WordPress instance is part of a larger infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates while implementing compensating controls in environments where patching may be delayed. The primary and most effective solution is to upgrade Social Boost to version 3.6.3 or later, where these access control checks have been corrected by the developers. Until an update can be applied, administrators should consider restricting user registration if not strictly necessary for their use case, thereby reducing the pool of potential attackers who hold subscriber-level accounts. Additionally, implementing a Web Application Firewall with rulesets tuned to detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with privilege escalation attempts can provide an additional layer of defense. Regular auditing of plugin code and adherence to secure coding standards that emphasize strict input validation and explicit authorization checks for every privileged operation are essential practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future developments or other plugins used within the same environment.