CVE-2026-97305 in AI Chatbot for WordPress Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/05/2026
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in Themeisle AI Chatbot for WordPress – Hyve Lite hyve-lite allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects AI Chatbot for WordPress – Hyve Lite: from n/a through 2.0.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2026
The vulnerability identified as an Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key within the Themeisle AI Chatbot plugin, specifically affecting versions of Hyve Lite up to and including version 2.0.2, represents a critical flaw in access control mechanisms. This issue stems from improper validation or sanitization of keys provided by users during API interactions or administrative operations. When an application relies on user-supplied input to determine authorization levels without adequate verification against the server-side session state or role-based permissions, it creates a pathway for unauthorized actors to escalate privileges. In this specific context, the flaw allows attackers to manipulate key parameters that dictate access rights, effectively bypassing intended security boundaries designed to restrict functionality to authenticated and authorized users only.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes Improper Access Control where an actor is able to gain privileges they are not entitled to or access resources they should not be allowed to reach. The root cause typically involves the application trusting client-side assertions or request parameters regarding user identity and permission levels without cross-referencing them against a secure server-side store of session data. By controlling these keys, an attacker can forge requests that appear legitimate to the backend logic, thereby executing actions reserved for higher-privileged roles such as administrators. This bypass mechanism does not necessarily require breaking encryption or cracking passwords but rather exploits the logical gap in how access tokens or identifiers are processed and validated by the application framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution and data exfiltration within WordPress environments, which often host sensitive business information and user personal data. An attacker who successfully exploits this authorization bypass can perform administrative actions such as modifying site settings, installing malicious plugins, or altering database contents without proper authentication. This compromises the integrity of the entire website infrastructure. Furthermore, because AI chatbot plugins often interact with external APIs and process natural language inputs, an elevated privilege level could allow an attacker to inject prompts that manipulate the AI's behavior in unintended ways, potentially leading to further security breaches or reputational damage for the site owner.
This type of vulnerability is frequently associated with ATT&CK technique T1078, Valid Accounts, as exploitation often involves using stolen credentials or forging authentication contexts to gain legitimate access before escalating privileges through this specific flaw. It also relates to T1548, Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism, where the attacker abuses system mechanisms designed for privilege management. The presence of such a vulnerability indicates that the software development lifecycle lacked sufficient security testing focused on authorization logic and input validation boundaries.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required by updating the Hyve Lite plugin to a version released after 2.0.2, where developers have presumably implemented stricter access control checks. Administrators should ensure that all WordPress plugins are kept up-to-date with their latest security patches. Additionally, implementing Web Application Firewalls can provide an additional layer of defense by detecting and blocking anomalous request patterns associated with parameter tampering or unauthorized API calls. Security audits focusing on role-based access control implementations across the entire application stack are recommended to prevent similar authorization bypasses in other components that may share underlying architectural weaknesses.