Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain subscriber-level WordPress account
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DeliverySend authenticated AJAX POST to wpematico_import_settings
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ExploitOverwrite default_role and users_can_register site options
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ExecutionRegister new user account
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PersistReceive automatic administrator role
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ImpactAchieve full WordPress admin control
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement
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 | Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress session with at minimum subscriber-level privileges - CVSS PR:L confirms unauthenticated exploitation is not possible. The WPeMatico RSS Feed Fetcher plugin must be installed and active on the target site at version 2.8.24 or earlier. The full two-stage privilege escalation (options manipulation followed by admin account self-registration) additionally requires that WordPress user registration be enabled, or that the attacker already possesses a subscriber account obtained through other means. Sites with user registration disabled limit the attack's completion path, but the underlying arbitrary options write remains exploitable by any existing authenticated subscriber, meaning option tampering short of admin account creation (such as altering feed settings or other plugin options) is still possible regardless of registration state. |
| Impact | The CVSS 8.8 score (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) accurately reflects the severity - network-accessible with low complexity, requiring only a subscriber-level credential, yielding full site compromise. Real-world risk is highest on WordPress sites with open user registration, where an anonymous actor can self-register a subscriber account and immediately escalate; on sites with registration disabled, an attacker must already possess a subscriber account. No EPSS data was provided in the input and the vulnerability does not appear in CISA KEV, meaning no active exploitation campaigns have been confirmed at time of analysis. Despite the lack of observed exploitation, the attack is highly automatable - the entire chain from subscriber login to admin account creation can be scripted in two HTTP requests - which elevates practical risk above what KEV absence alone might suggest. No conflicting signals exist between CVSS metrics and the described behavior. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker registers a free subscriber account on a target WordPress site (or uses a previously compromised one), then sends a crafted authenticated AJAX POST request to the wpematico_import_settings handler, overwriting the WordPress options default_role to administrator and users_can_register to 1. The attacker immediately registers a second account, which WordPress automatically grants administrator privileges, yielding full wp-admin access and complete site control. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 22, 2026
Privilege escalation in WPeMatico RSS Feed Fetcher (all versions through 2.8.24) allows any authenticated WordPress subscriber to gain full administrative access by invoking the unprotected wpematico_import_settings function. The missing capability check permits arbitrary WordPress site options to be overwritten, enabling attackers to enable user registration and set the default registration role to administrator - a two-stage takeover requiring only a valid subscriber account. No public exploit code or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis, but the attack chain is low-complexity and directly actionable by any authenticated user.
RemediationAI
Upgrade WPeMatico RSS Feed Fetcher to version 2.8.25 or later, which adds current_user_can('manage_options') capability enforcement across all previously unprotected AJAX handlers; the upstream fix is available at https://github.com/etruel/wpematico/commit/e297f41b49c6ec76635b006dff8a964a99a1ed24. If immediate patching is not feasible, disable user registration on the WordPress site via Settings > General by unchecking 'Anyone can register' - this breaks the second stage of the attack chain (registering the admin account) but does not eliminate the underlying options-write flaw, which any existing subscriber can still exploit. As an additional control, audit all existing WordPress user accounts at subscriber level for signs of unauthorized access and review recent changes to WordPress core options (particularly default_role and users_can_register) via the options table or a plugin such as Simple History.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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 class is CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), specifically the absence of a current_user_can('manage_options') capability check on the wpematico_import_settings AJAX handler registered in app/wpematico_functions.php. WordPress plugins commonly register AJAX hooks via wp_ajax_* actions; when these handlers lack capability enforcement, any authenticated user - including the lowest-privilege subscriber role - can invoke them directly. The affected code at wpematico_functions.php:L2077 and L2096 processed arbitrary settings imports without verifying caller privilege. The upstream fix (commit e297f41b) adds current_user_can('manage_options') guards across four files: wpematico_functions.php, settings_page.php, tools_page.php, and debug_page.php, confirming how broadly unprotected AJAX surface existed in versions through 2.8.24. The affected product is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:etruel:wpematico_rss_feed_fetcher:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network AJAX endpoint requires only subscriber credentials (PR:L); arbitrary options write yields full admin takeover with high C/I/A and no scope change beyond WordPress.
Primary rating from Vendor (Wordfence).
CVSS VectorVendor: Wordfence
DescriptionCVE.org
The WPeMatico RSS Feed Fetcher plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the wpematico_import_settings function in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.24. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This can be leveraged to update the default role for registration to administrator and enable user registration for attackers to gain administrative user access.
Articles & Coverage 1
Latest POC
1 public PoC link from github
Sign in to open the public PoC links collected for this CVE.
Executive ViewAI
WPeMatico RSS Feed Fetcher plugin (all versions through 2.8.24) creates a direct escalation path from subscriber access to full site administrator control, establishing a critical security risk for any WordPress deployment with user accounts. Affected organizations face potential data breaches, unauthorized administrative access, and operational compromise with no vendor patch available. Immediate action is required to mitigate this exposure.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Immediate mitigations: disable WPeMatico RSS Feed Fetcher plugin to eliminate attack vector; disable WordPress user registration or restrict new registrations to administrator approval only; implement granular role-based access controls limiting subscriber permissions; monitor WordPress error logs and admin action logs for unauthorized access patterns; maintain current backups enabling rapid restoration if compromise detected; restrict WordPress admin panel access by source IP address if operationally feasible.
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
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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EUVD-2026-64207
GHSA-rhx5-89fh-523v
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB