CVE-2026-14548 Overview
CVE-2026-14548 affects the Ray Enterprise Translation WordPress plugin through version 1.7.3. The plugin fails to perform capability or nonce checks on one of its AJAX actions. Any authenticated user, including low-privileged Subscribers, can invoke the vulnerable action. The action overwrites the administrator-configured translation API token with an attacker-supplied value. This weakness is classified as Missing Authorization [CWE-862].
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access can overwrite the translation API token, disrupting translation service integrity and enabling substitution with attacker-controlled credentials.
Affected Products
- Ray Enterprise Translation WordPress plugin versions through 1.7.3
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-11 - CVE-2026-14548 published to NVD
- 2026-08-12 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-14548
Vulnerability Analysis
The Ray Enterprise Translation plugin exposes an AJAX endpoint that modifies the translation API token setting. WordPress AJAX handlers require explicit authorization checks to prevent misuse. This handler omits both a capability check and a nonce verification. Any user session authenticated to WordPress can invoke the action successfully. Subscribers, the lowest privileged role in a default WordPress install, meet this requirement. The endpoint accepts an arbitrary token value from the request and writes it to the plugin's stored configuration, replacing the administrator-provisioned API credential.
An attacker who overwrites the API token can break translation functionality across the site. If the attacker substitutes a token they control on the upstream translation service, translations submitted by the site can be routed through attacker-controlled infrastructure. The vulnerability affects integrity of stored configuration data without requiring user interaction from an administrator.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization control on a state-changing AJAX action [CWE-862]. The handler does not call current_user_can() to validate the caller's role. It also does not call check_ajax_referer() to validate a nonce tied to the administrator's session. Without either control, the action treats any authenticated request as authoritative.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and any valid authenticated session. On sites that permit open user registration, an attacker can register a Subscriber account and immediately reach the vulnerable endpoint. The attacker sends a crafted POST request to admin-ajax.php specifying the vulnerable action name and the replacement token value. No user interaction from an administrator is required. See the WPScan Vulnerability Report for additional technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-14548
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to the Ray Enterprise Translation plugin's stored API token in the WordPress wp_options table.
- POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php from Subscriber-level accounts referencing the plugin's token-update action.
- Translation failures or errors originating from the plugin after a token overwrite.
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress access logs for admin-ajax.php requests submitted by non-administrator user roles targeting the Ray Enterprise Translation plugin.
- Monitor the wp_options table for modifications to translation configuration keys outside of scheduled administrative activity.
- Correlate new low-privilege user registrations with subsequent AJAX activity against plugin endpoints.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging to record option changes and AJAX action invocations with the associated user ID.
- Alert on any modification to the plugin's translation API token setting.
- Track outbound requests from the WordPress host to translation service endpoints to identify substituted credentials in use.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-14548
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the Ray Enterprise Translation plugin until a patched version is confirmed installed.
- Rotate the translation service API token at the upstream provider to invalidate any attacker-substituted value.
- Review WordPress user accounts and remove unrecognized Subscriber-level registrations.
Patch Information
No fixed version is identified in the referenced advisory at the time of publication. Monitor the WPScan Vulnerability Report and the plugin vendor's release notes for a patched release beyond version 1.7.3.
Workarounds
- Disable open user registration by unchecking Settings → General → Membership until a patch is available.
- Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php at the web server or WAF layer for unauthenticated and low-privilege sessions where feasible.
- Remove the plugin entirely if translation functionality is not business-critical.
# Configuration example: disable open registration via WP-CLI
wp option update users_can_register 0
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
