Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessSend unauthenticated HTTP request to PublishPress Authors
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ExploitBypass access control checks
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ExecutionAccess sensitive author data
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ImpactExfiltrate confidential information
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 | Remote unauthenticated attacker can exploit PublishPress Authors plugin <= 4.10.1 when installed on WordPress. No victim interaction required. Affects default configurations where access control is improperly configured or missing authorization checks on sensitive operations. |
| Impact | While specific CVSS vector data is not available in the provided intelligence, the vulnerability is reported as a missing authorization/broken access control issue, which typically carries moderate to high severity in real-world contexts. The absence of a CVSS score, EPSS probability score, and KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerability) status limits definitive risk quantification; however, the fact that it was reported by Patchstack and assigned an ENISA EUVD ID (EUVD-2026-15639) indicates formal recognition. Authentication bypass and access control vulnerabilities are generally considered exploitable with low complexity once discovered. Without confirmation of active exploitation, public POC availability, or automatable attack vectors, this should be prioritized as a medium-to-high severity issue requiring timely patching, particularly for WordPress installations with sensitive author management requirements. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An authenticated WordPress user with limited permissions (such as a contributor) could exploit the misconfigured access control to view, modify, or delete author information belonging to other users, potentially escalating their privileges or tampering with content attribution. An unauthenticated attacker might be able to access the plugin's exposed endpoints if the authorization checks are entirely absent, allowing reconnaissance or direct manipulation of author data. The low attack complexity of access control bypasses means that exploitation could occur through simple HTTP requests once the vulnerable endpoint is identified. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 25, 2026
A missing authorization vulnerability in PublishPress Authors plugin versions up to 4.10.1 allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially bypassing authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability affects WordPress installations using the PublishPress Authors plugin and could enable unauthorized users to perform actions they should not be permitted to execute. The vulnerability is classified as an authentication bypass issue with CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), though specific CVSS scoring and exploitation data are not yet published.
RemediationAI
Update PublishPress Authors to a version newer than 4.10.1 as soon as a patched version is released by PublishPress. Check the official PublishPress website and WordPress plugin repository for available updates. Until a patch is available, implement the following compensating controls: restrict plugin functionality using WordPress role and capability management to limit which users can access author management features, disable the PublishPress Authors plugin if it is not actively required, and audit user access logs to detect any suspicious authorization bypass attempts. Consider using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to monitor and block requests that attempt to exploit authorization bypass patterns if the plugin must remain active.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability exists in the PublishPress Authors plugin for WordPress, identified via CPE cpe:2.3:a:publishpress:publishpress_authors:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*. The root cause is classified under CWE-862 (Improper Access Control), which indicates that the plugin fails to properly validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive functionality or resources. PublishPress Authors is a WordPress plugin that manages authorship and author metadata; the broken access control suggests that the plugin's authorization checks for displaying, modifying, or managing author information are not properly enforced, potentially allowing users to access or modify author data beyond their intended permission scope.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
DescriptionCVE.org
Missing Authorization vulnerability in PublishPress PublishPress Authors publishpress-authors allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects PublishPress Authors: from n/a through <= 4.10.1.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2026-25309 presents notable security risk, a missing authorization vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. Attackers could bypass security controls to gain unauthorized access to protected resources and sensitive data. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and consider compensating controls in the interim.
Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
EUVD-2026-15639
GHSA-mxc9-2x8m-2m26
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB