CVE-2026-16295 Overview
CVE-2026-16295 is a broken access control vulnerability in the Clearfy Cache WordPress plugin before version 2.4.3. The plugin fails to perform a capability check in one of its admin-page dispatch paths. Any authenticated user, including a Subscriber, can render admin-only settings pages and disclose their contents. The exposed content includes administrative nonces that attackers can reuse to perform privileged actions. The canonical page URL correctly restricts access, so the flaw resides specifically in the alternative dispatch path. This weakness maps to [CWE-284] Improper Access Control and affects the confidentiality of plugin configuration data.
Critical Impact
Low-privileged authenticated users can read admin-only settings pages and harvest administrative nonces, enabling downstream privileged actions against affected WordPress sites.
Affected Products
- Clearfy Cache WordPress plugin versions prior to 2.4.3
- WordPress sites with Subscriber-level or higher account registration enabled
- WordPress installations exposing the vulnerable admin-page dispatch path
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-04 - CVE-2026-16295 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-08-04 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-16295
Vulnerability Analysis
The Clearfy Cache plugin exposes settings pages through more than one dispatch path. The canonical path enforces WordPress capability checks such as manage_options, restricting rendering to administrators. A secondary dispatch path omits this check entirely. Authenticated users at any role level can trigger this path and cause the plugin to render admin-only settings pages in the response. The rendered output includes WordPress administrative nonces that are normally scoped to privileged users. An attacker holding a Subscriber account can capture these nonces and reuse them against endpoints that verify nonce authenticity without re-validating the caller's capability. The vulnerability is limited to information disclosure, but the disclosed nonces expand the attack surface for follow-on requests.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing capability check in one of the plugin's admin-page dispatch handlers. WordPress requires developers to call current_user_can() before rendering admin content. The vulnerable dispatch path invokes the settings page renderer directly without invoking this guard. The canonical URL applies the guard correctly, which is why the flaw is scoped to the alternative path.
Attack Vector
An attacker registers or obtains any authenticated account on the target site, including a Subscriber. The attacker then sends an authenticated HTTP request to the vulnerable dispatch endpoint exposed by the plugin. The server responds with the fully rendered admin settings page, including embedded nonces. The attacker parses the response to extract nonce values and plugin configuration details. Consult the WPScan Vulnerability Report for the specific endpoint and parameters involved.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-16295
Indicators of Compromise
- Authenticated HTTP requests to Clearfy Cache admin dispatch endpoints originating from Subscriber or Contributor accounts
- Unexpected 200 OK responses containing admin settings markup returned to non-administrative sessions
- Reuse of administrative nonces in subsequent requests from low-privileged user sessions
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress access logs for requests to Clearfy Cache admin pages made by non-administrator user IDs
- Correlate low-privileged authentication sessions with responses containing admin nonce patterns such as _wpnonce values tied to privileged actions
- Alert on anomalous role-to-endpoint mappings where Subscribers access wp-admin plugin routes
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose access logging on the WordPress wp-admin directory and plugin AJAX endpoints
- Monitor for spikes in authenticated Subscriber traffic to plugin administrative paths
- Track new user registrations followed by rapid access to plugin admin routes
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-16295
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Clearfy Cache plugin to version 2.4.3 or later on all WordPress installations
- Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove unnecessary Subscriber-level registrations
- Rotate any administrative credentials or API keys that may have been exposed through the settings pages
Patch Information
The vendor addressed CVE-2026-16295 in Clearfy Cache version 2.4.3 by adding the missing capability check to the affected dispatch path. Site administrators should apply the update through the WordPress plugin manager. Refer to the WPScan Vulnerability Report for advisory details.
Workarounds
- Disable open user registration in WordPress settings until the plugin is updated
- Temporarily deactivate the Clearfy Cache plugin if patching cannot be performed immediately
- Restrict access to wp-admin paths by IP address through the web server or a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
