What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-1321?

CVE-2026-1321 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.1%.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-1321?

Within 24 hours: Audit all WordPress installations for the Membership Plugin and document affected systems; consider taking the plugin offline if business operations allow. Within 7 days: Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block exploitation attempts and restrict plugin functionality to trusted IP ranges only; evaluate alternative membership plugins. Within 30 days: Migrate to a patched alternative plugin or establish a vendor communication plan for patch availability; conduct security assessment of compromised systems if exploitation is suspected.

WordPress CVE-2026-1321

HIGH

Missing Authorization (CWE-862)

2026-03-05 security@wordfence.com

WordPress Authentication Bypass Privilege Escalation

8.1

CVSS 3.1 · NVD

View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

Access

Send POST request with arbitrary rcp_level parameter
Exploit

Bypass membership level validation
Execution

Register with inactive membership level
Impact

Assign elevated WordPress role without status verification

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness	CWE CWE-862 OWASP Top 10:2025 A01:2025 - Broken Access Control ASVS 5.0 V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request MITRE ATT&CK 1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. Sign in to read
Exploitation Conditions	WordPress installation with Membership Plugin - Restrict Content versions ≤3.2.20 enabled; attacker must know inactive membership level IDs; requires user registration endpoint access on vulnerable plugin versions without additional authentication checks.
Impact	CVSS 8.1 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: High. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. Exploitation no authentication required.
Exploit ScenarioDerived	An attacker without authentication could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).

No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

Unauthenticated attackers can escalate privileges in WordPress installations using the Membership Plugin - Restrict Content (versions up to 3.2.20) by registering with arbitrary membership levels, including inactive levels or those granting administrator access, due to insufficient validation of the rcp_level parameter. This allows attackers to bypass payment requirements and gain unauthorized administrative roles without authentication. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)

v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 22:06 CVSS 8.1

The Membership Plugin – Restrict Content plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.2.20. [CVSS 8.1 HIGH]

RemediationAI

Fixed in version 3.2.18.. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affected ProductsAI

Product: Restrict Content. Versions: up to 3.2.20..

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Classified as CWE-862 (Missing Authorization). Affects Restrict Content. The Membership Plugin – Restrict Content plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.2.20. This is due to the rcp_setup_registration_init() function accepting any membership level ID via the rcp_level POST parameter without validating that the level is active or that payment is required. Combined with the add_user_role() method which assigns the WordPress role configured on the membership level without status checks, this makes it poss

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Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 8.1 HIGH

AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

High

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

DescriptionCVE.org

The Membership Plugin - Restrict Content plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.2.20. This is due to the rcp_setup_registration_init() function accepting any membership level ID via the rcp_level POST parameter without validating that the level is active or that payment is required. Combined with the add_user_role() method which assigns the WordPress role configured on the membership level without status checks, this makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to register with any membership level, including inactive levels that grant privileged WordPress roles such as Administrator, or paid levels that charge a sign-up fee. The vulnerability was partially patched in version 3.2.18.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A privilege escalation vulnerability in the WordPress Membership Plugin (versions up to 3.2.20) allows attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to affected websites. Organizations using this plugin face immediate risk of content theft, data breach, and website compromise, with no vendor patch currently available.

Business Impact: High

Compensating Controls

Disable the Membership Plugin functionality until patch availability; implement WAF rules targeting CVE-2026-1321 exploitation patterns; restrict plugin access to trusted IP addresses only through .htaccess or firewall rules; enforce strong authentication and multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts; monitor user account creation and privilege escalation activities; segment WordPress installations from sensitive network resources.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score

0.1%

Top 74% exploitable

Data Quality

3 sources

Confidence: Low

NVD

CVE.org

EPSS

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue

Severity HIGH

CISA KEV No

Public POC No

EPSS 0.1%

Patch available No

Active threat No

Deciding rule

HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)

What every action level means

Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.

Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived

Scheduled

Exploitation· derived

None

System Exposure· derived

Open

Automatable· derived

Human Impact

High

Priority Score

Low Medium High Critical

KEV: 0

EPSS: 0

CVSS: +40

PoC: 0

Weaponized: 0

Threat intel: 0

Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication Bypass CRITICAL

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Privilege Escalation HIGH

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.