CVE-2026-15988
Received Received - Intake

Cross-Site Request Forgery in AI Engine WordPress Plugin

Publication date: 2026-08-01

Last updated on: 2026-08-01

Assigner: Wordfence

Description
The AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 3.6.5 This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the reauth_for_authorize function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to create new administrator accounts with attacker-supplied credentials via a CSRF-based REST authentication bypass, granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link. This bypass can be combined with WordPress's ?_method=POST method-override support to convert a top-navigation GET request into an authenticated POST to the REST users endpoint, requiring no existing account on the attacker's part.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-01
Last Modified
2026-08-01
Generated
2026-08-01
AI Q&A
2026-08-01
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-15988
EUVD
EUVD-2026-51739

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
wordfence the_chatbot_ai_framework_mcp to 3.6.5 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-352 The web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaw in the AI Engine – The Chatbot, AI Framework & MCP WordPress plugin up to version 3.6.5. It occurs due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the reauth_for_authorize function, allowing unauthenticated attackers to create new administrator accounts with their own credentials. Attackers can trick a site administrator into clicking a malicious link, which then performs an authenticated POST request to create the account.

Detection Guidance

Check for unauthorized administrator accounts in WordPress. Review recent user creation logs and compare against known administrators. Inspect REST API requests for suspicious POST operations, especially those using the _method=POST override.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain full administrative control over your WordPress site by creating a new admin account. This could lead to complete site takeover, installation of malicious plugins, theft of sensitive data, or defacement of your website. The attack requires tricking an admin into clicking a link, making it easier for attackers to exploit.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access and data breaches, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and access control. GDPR mandates strict user consent and data security, while HIPAA requires safeguards for protected health information. A breach could result in legal penalties and loss of compliance certifications.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the AI Engine plugin to the latest version if available. Remove any unknown administrator accounts. Implement strict nonce validation for all plugin functions. Monitor user activity for unusual changes.

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