CVE-2026-24357: WP Recipe Maker Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-24357 Overview

CVE-2026-24357 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the WP Recipe Maker WordPress plugin developed by Brecht. This broken access control vulnerability allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially enabling unauthorized access to plugin functionality that should be restricted to authenticated users with specific privileges.

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks in the plugin's access control implementation, allowing unauthenticated or low-privileged users to perform actions that should require elevated permissions.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass access control mechanisms in WP Recipe Maker to perform unauthorized actions, potentially modifying, deleting, or accessing recipe data and plugin settings without proper authorization.

Affected Products

• WP Recipe Maker plugin versions up to and including 10.2.4
• WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the wp-recipe-maker plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-22 - CVE-2026-24357 published to NVD
• 2026-01-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24357

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-862: Missing Authorization, a common weakness in web applications where critical functions lack proper permission verification. In the context of WordPress plugins, this typically manifests when AJAX handlers, REST API endpoints, or administrative functions fail to verify that the requesting user has appropriate capabilities before executing privileged operations.

The WP Recipe Maker plugin, used by website owners to create and manage cooking recipes with structured data, contains functionality that should be restricted to administrators or editors. However, due to missing authorization checks, these functions can be accessed by users without the required permissions.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-24357 is the absence of proper authorization verification in one or more plugin functions. In WordPress development, authorization should be enforced using capability checks via functions like current_user_can(). When these checks are missing or improperly implemented, any authenticated user—or in some cases, unauthenticated visitors—can trigger sensitive operations.

This type of vulnerability commonly occurs when:

• AJAX action handlers lack check_ajax_referer() and capability verification
• REST API endpoints don't implement proper permission callbacks
• Form processing functions skip user capability validation

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by directly calling the vulnerable endpoint or function without proper authentication or with a low-privileged user account. The attack does not require special tools and can typically be executed through standard HTTP requests to WordPress AJAX handlers or REST API endpoints.

The exploitation process involves identifying the vulnerable function and crafting requests that bypass the missing authorization checks. Since WordPress plugins often expose functionality through predictable AJAX action names registered via wp_ajax_ and wp_ajax_nopriv_ hooks, attackers can enumerate and test these endpoints for missing authorization.

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24357

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to recipe content, settings, or metadata by unauthorized users
• Unusual HTTP requests to WP Recipe Maker AJAX endpoints from unauthenticated sessions
• Database changes to recipe-related tables without corresponding legitimate admin activity
• Access logs showing requests to plugin endpoints from suspicious IP addresses or user agents

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress AJAX handler requests targeting wp-recipe-maker actions for suspicious patterns
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block unauthorized access attempts
• Review user activity logs for unauthorized changes to recipe content or plugin settings
• Deploy endpoint detection to identify exploitation attempts targeting WordPress installations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for WordPress AJAX and REST API requests
• Set up alerts for unexpected changes to plugin settings or recipe data
• Monitor for mass or automated requests targeting plugin endpoints
• Regularly audit user roles and capabilities to ensure principle of least privilege

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24357

Immediate Actions Required

• Update WP Recipe Maker to the latest patched version immediately
• Audit recent changes to recipe content and plugin settings for unauthorized modifications
• Review WordPress user accounts for any unauthorized privilege escalations
• Consider temporarily disabling the plugin until the update can be applied if immediate patching is not possible

Patch Information

Website administrators should update the WP Recipe Maker plugin to a version newer than 10.2.4 that includes the authorization fix. Updates can be applied through the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins > Installed Plugins, or via WP-CLI using wp plugin update wp-recipe-maker.

Before updating, it is recommended to:

1. Create a full backup of your WordPress site and database
2. Test the update on a staging environment if available
3. Review the plugin changelog for any breaking changes

For additional details on the vulnerability and patch status, consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to WordPress admin and AJAX endpoints using server-level access controls
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with rules to block suspicious requests to plugin endpoints
• Limit user registration and ensure only trusted users have authenticated access to the site
• Use security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri to add additional layers of access control monitoring

# Example: Restrict direct access to WordPress AJAX handler (Apache .htaccess)
# Add to .htaccess in WordPress root directory
<Files admin-ajax.php>
    <RequireAll>
        Require all granted
        # Add IP restrictions if needed
        # Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
    </RequireAll>
</Files>

# Verify current plugin version via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=wp-recipe-maker --fields=name,version,status

# Update plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin update wp-recipe-maker