CVE-2026-118267
Deferred Deferred - Pending Action

Incorrect Authorization in WP Data Access Plugin Leads to Privilege Escalation

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-118267, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-11-07

Last updated on: 2026-11-07

Assigner: Wordfence

Description

The WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Incorrect Authorization leading to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 5.5.89 This is due to the plugin's write endpoints (`wpda/app/update`, `wpda/app/delete`, `wpda/app/insert`) passing the attacker-supplied `key` and `val` parameters directly to `$wpdadb->update`, `$wpdadb->delete`, and `$wpdadb->insert` without enforcing the container's row-filter (`defaultWhere`) or per-column allow-list (`isSelected`) restrictions that are correctly applied on the read endpoints. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to write to arbitrary rows and columns outside the configured restrictions β€” including overwriting the `user_pass` field of the WordPress administrator account in `wp_users` β€” and subsequently authenticate as the administrator, achieving full site takeover. Exploitation requires an administrator to have published a Data App that enables write transactions (update, delete, or insert) for Subscriber-level or anonymous users, which is an explicitly advertised use-case of the plugin. Exploitation by unauthenticated attackers requires that the administrator has published a Data App whose rest_api.authorization is 'anonymous' and whose container has transactions.update (or delete/insert) enabled. On a default installation, where that is not configured, the vulnerability requires attackers with subscriber-level access and above.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-11-07
Last Modified
2026-11-07
Generated
2026-11-07
AI Q&A
2026-11-07
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-863 The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is in the WP Data Access plugin for WordPress. It allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access or higher to escalate privileges by exploiting incorrect authorization checks in write endpoints. The plugin fails to enforce row-filter and column allow-list restrictions when writing data, enabling attackers to modify arbitrary rows and columns, including overwriting the administrator's password in the WordPress database.

Detection Guidance

Check for unauthorized modifications to the WordPress administrator account in the wp_users table. Look for suspicious Data Apps with write permissions enabled for Subscriber-level or anonymous users. Review plugin versions to identify installations up to 5.5.89.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability can lead to full site takeover. Attackers can gain administrator-level access by changing the administrator's password, allowing them to control the entire WordPress site. This requires either an administrator to have published a Data App enabling write transactions or an unauthenticated attacker exploiting a misconfigured anonymous access setting.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access and modification of sensitive data, violating compliance requirements for GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. Unauthorized access may result in data breaches, loss of data integrity, and failure to meet regulatory standards for data protection and access control.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the WP Data Access plugin to the latest version beyond 5.5.89. Disable write permissions for Subscriber-level or anonymous users in Data Apps. Remove any Data Apps with anonymous authorization enabled. Reset WordPress administrator passwords if suspicious activity is detected.

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