Missing Authorization in Pagelayer Allows Post Manipulation

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-127094 is a missing authorization vulnerability in Pagelayer 2.1.7 before 2.2.1. It affects the Abilities API in main/abilitiesregister.php, which only checks for the edit_posts capability without verifying object-level permissions. Contributor-level attackers can exploit this to overwrite, publish, delete, or duplicate other users' private posts and pages, read restricted content, and modify site-wide theme templates like headers and footers.

The flaw exists because the plugin does not perform per-object authorization checks, allowing attackers to bypass intended restrictions with minimal privileges.

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Detection Guidance

Check if Pagelayer plugin versions 2.1.7 to 2.2.0 are installed. Review WordPress user roles with Contributor access or higher. Inspect Abilities API endpoints for unauthorized modifications to posts, pages, or theme templates. Monitor logs for unexpected changes to private content or site-wide templates.

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Impact Analysis

If you are a WordPress site administrator or user with Contributor-level access or higher, an attacker could exploit this to modify, delete, or steal your private content without permission. They could also alter your site's theme files, leading to unauthorized changes in appearance or functionality.

For site owners, this could mean unauthorized content changes, data leaks, or defacement. Users may lose access to their work or have sensitive information exposed.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or modification of sensitive data, violating GDPR's data integrity and confidentiality requirements. For HIPAA, it may result in unauthorized access to protected health information, breaching security rules.

Organizations handling regulated data must address this flaw promptly to avoid compliance violations, potential fines, and reputational damage.

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Mitigation Strategies

Update Pagelayer to version 2.2.1 or later immediately. Remove Contributor-level access for users unless absolutely necessary. Implement additional authorization checks for sensitive API endpoints. Regularly audit user permissions and content changes to detect unauthorized activity.

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