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Acymailing An Ultimate Newsletter Plugin And Marketing Automation Solution For Wordpress CVE-2026-3614

| EUVDEUVD-2026-23188 HIGH
Missing Authorization (CWE-862)
2026-04-16 Wordfence
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Recon
    Obtain Subscriber account
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted AJAX request to acymailing_router
  3. Exploit
    Access admin configuration controller
  4. Install
    Enable autologin feature
  5. C2
    Create malicious subscriber with injected admin cms_id
  6. Execute
    Generate autologin URL
  7. Impact
    Authenticate as administrator

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
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.

Exploitation Conditions

Requires authenticated access to the WordPress site with Subscriber-level privileges or higher (PR:L in CVSS vector). WordPress installations allowing self-registration or providing Subscriber accounts to untrusted users are immediately exploitable. The AcyMailing plugin must be active (installed and enabled) in versions 9.11.0 through 10.8.1. No special WordPress configuration, non-default plugin settings, or user interaction is required beyond the attacker obtaining any authenticated account-the vulnerability exists in default AcyMailing deployments. Attack surface is network-accessible (AV:N) via standard WordPress AJAX endpoints. Exploitation is NOT limited by: disabled autologin features (attacker can enable via configuration access), newsletter campaign existence, or administrator activity. The primary limiting factor is the PR:L requirement-installations without subscriber registration or those restricting account creation to administrators significantly reduce risk, though insider threats or compromised low-privilege accounts remain vectors.

Impact

Real-world risk is HIGH for installations with open subscriber registration. The CVSS 8.8 score accurately reflects the severe impact (full CIA triad compromise at High) and realistic attack requirements: network-accessible (AV:N), low complexity (AC:L), requires only low-privileged authenticated access (PR:L), and no user interaction (UI:N). While no CISA KEV listing confirms active exploitation, multiple factors elevate practical risk: (1) WordPress Subscriber is the lowest authenticated role-often granted to self-registered users on public sites; (2) the attack chain is fully detailed in public WordPress plugin repository code (plugins.trac.wordpress.org references show exact vulnerable files and line numbers); (3) Wordfence threat intelligence has published comprehensive analysis, significantly lowering attacker research burden; (4) the vulnerability allows complete administrative takeover, not just data access. The missing EPSS score prevents probabilistic assessment, but the combination of low attacker skill requirements, detailed public disclosure, and widespread WordPress deployment suggests this will be exploited if not already. SSVC framework analysis: Exploitation=POC (public code analysis available), Automatable=Yes (AJAX endpoint with no CAPTCHA/rate limiting mentioned), Technical Impact=Total (admin access). Priority: IMMEDIATE patching for any installation allowing subscriber registration; HIGH priority for closed-user-base installations.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker creates a free Subscriber account on a WordPress site running vulnerable AcyMailing versions. Using authenticated session cookies, the attacker sends crafted AJAX POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=acymailing_router, bypassing capability checks to access admin-only configuration controllers. The attacker enables the autologin feature through configuration manipulation, then creates a malicious newsletter subscriber record with a cms_id value corresponding to a target administrator's WordPress user ID. The plugin generates an autologin URL tied to this subscriber-admin mapping. When the attacker accesses this URL, AcyMailing authenticates them as the targeted administrator without requiring credentials, granting full WordPress administrative control for site takeover, malware injection, or data exfiltration.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Apr 16, 2026

Privilege escalation in AcyMailing WordPress plugin (versions 9.11.0-10.8.1) allows authenticated Subscriber-level users to gain administrator access through a multi-stage attack chain. Attackers exploit a missing capability check in the wp_ajax_acymailing_router AJAX handler to access admin-only configuration controllers, enable autologin features, inject malicious cms_id values into newsletter subscribers, and authenticate as any WordPress user including administrators. EPSS data not available; no confirmed active exploitation (CISA KEV absent), but the low attack complexity (AC:L) and detailed public code references increase exploitation risk for installations with subscriber registration enabled.

RemediationAI

Immediately upgrade AcyMailing plugin to version 10.8.2 or later, which addresses the missing capability check vulnerability (verify fix availability with AcyBA vendor advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a895e2cf-9eba-4c46-b19f-d008e1058f64?source=cve). If immediate patching is not possible, implement these compensating controls: (1) Disable new subscriber registrations by removing self-registration capabilities and setting WordPress to disallow new user registrations (Settings → General → Membership); this prevents attackers from obtaining the required PR:L authenticated access, though existing Subscriber accounts remain a threat vector. (2) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules blocking POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=acymailing_router from non-administrator sessions; note this may break legitimate newsletter functionality for lower-privileged users. (3) Audit existing subscriber accounts for anomalous cms_id values using database queries (SELECT * FROM wp_acym_user WHERE cms_id IS NOT NULL) and verify autologin feature status in AcyMailing configuration-disable if not operationally required. (4) Monitor WordPress authentication logs for unexpected administrative logins using autologin URLs (look for acymailing_front_user parameter in access logs). These workarounds reduce attack surface but do not eliminate the vulnerability; patching remains the only complete remediation.

Affected VersionsENISA

AcyMailing – An Ultimate Newsletter Plugin and Marketing Automation Solution for WordPress 9.11.0 ≤10.8.1

Affected Packages

euvd acymailing_an_ultimate_newsletter_plugin_and_marketing_automation_solution_for_wordpress no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability stems from CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) in the AcyMailing plugin's AJAX router implementation. The wp_ajax_acymailing_router handler in WpInit/Router.php (lines 11, 122, 230 across versions 10.7.1-10.8.1) fails to validate user capabilities before routing requests to backend controllers. WordPress AJAX handlers registered with wp_ajax_ hooks execute for authenticated users, but the plugin does not verify whether the authenticated user has administrative privileges before allowing access to sensitive operations in back/Core/AcymController.php. The autologin feature-intended for newsletter click tracking-generates authentication tokens tied to WordPress users via cms_id fields. By combining unauthorized configuration access with the ability to manipulate subscriber data and cms_id injection, attackers can generate valid autologin URLs that bypass normal WordPress authentication entirely. This represents a classic confused deputy problem where the plugin's privileged code trusts attacker-controllable input without proper authorization boundaries.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

The AcyMailing plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all versions From 9.11.0 up to, and including, 10.8.1 due to a missing capability check on the wp_ajax_acymailing_router AJAX handler. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to access admin-only controllers (including configuration management), enable the autologin feature, create a malicious newsletter subscriber with an injected cms_id pointing to any WordPress user, and then use the autologin URL to authenticate as that user, including administrators.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-3614 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in AcyMailing WordPress plugin (versions 9.11.0-10.8.1) that permits authenticated Subscriber-level users to escalate to administrator access through AJAX handler exploitation. Organizations running affected versions with open subscriber registration face immediate risk of unauthorized administrative control, data manipulation, and potential website compromise, particularly if subscribers are trusted or registration is publicly available.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Disable user registration or restrict Subscriber role permissions via WordPress role editor; (2) Block AJAX endpoint wp_ajax_acymailing_router via WAF or .htaccess rules; (3) Disable the AcyMailing plugin until patch availability confirmed; (4) Monitor WordPress admin user audit logs for unauthorized privilege escalation events; (5) Implement IP-based access restrictions to wp-admin if feasible.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 95% exploitable
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 0.0%
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

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

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

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