CVE-2026-86583

Received Received - Intake

Privilege Escalation in Import and export users and customers plugin

Publication date: 2026-09-23

Last updated on: 2026-09-23

Assigner: Wordfence

Description

The Import and export users and customers plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.17 via the plugin's own export and re-import workflow. The vulnerability exists because the exporter writes CSV cells using fputcsv() with a NUL byte (\0) as the escape character, while the importer parses the same file using SplFileObject::fgetcsv() with only a single delimiter argument, causing PHP's default backslash escape character to be applied instead; because the export column layout places display_name immediately before the role column and nickname immediately after, an attacker can store crafted values in those two profile fields — saved by WordPress core via the standard profile page — such that the escape mismatch causes the parser to merge the display_name cell into the role field and rebalance the column count via nickname, yielding administrator as the parsed role for their own row when it reaches the import_user function's add_role function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access or above to escalate their privileges to Administrator. Exploitation requires a site administrator to trigger the plugin's documented export re-import migration with both "Update existing users" and "Update roles for existing users" set to "yes".

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-23

Last Modified

2026-09-23

Generated

2026-09-24

AI Q&A

2026-09-24

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-86583

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
wordfence	import_and_export_users_and_customers_plugin	to 2.4.17 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-266	A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a privilege escalation flaw in the Import and export users and customers WordPress plugin up to version 2.4.17. It occurs during the plugin's export and re-import workflow. The exporter uses a NUL byte as an escape character, while the importer uses PHP's default backslash escape. This mismatch allows attackers with Subscriber-level access or higher to manipulate profile fields and escalate their privileges to Administrator when an admin triggers the migration with specific settings enabled.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by checking if the Import and export users and customers plugin for WordPress is installed and if its version is up to 2.4.17. Review user roles and privileges, especially for unexpected Administrator accounts. Inspect CSV export/import workflows for mismatched escape characters in display_name and nickname fields.

Impact Analysis

If you run a WordPress site using this plugin, an attacker with basic user access could gain full administrative control. This could lead to complete site takeover, unauthorized data access, or malicious modifications. The attack requires an admin to perform an export-import migration with specific settings, but once exploited, it grants unrestricted access to the entire site.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access or above to escalate privileges to Administrator. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating GDPR and HIPAA compliance requirements for data protection and access controls.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update the Import and export users and customers plugin to a version beyond 2.4.17. Disable the plugin's export/import migration feature if not in use. Audit user roles and remove any unauthorized Administrator accounts. Monitor for suspicious privilege changes.

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