CVE-2026-24522: WP Subscribe Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-24522 Overview

CVE-2026-24522 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the MyThemeShop WP Subscribe WordPress plugin. This broken access control flaw allows authenticated attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information or functionality that should be restricted.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with low privileges can bypass authorization controls to access restricted resources in WordPress sites running the vulnerable WP Subscribe plugin.

Affected Products

• MyThemeShop WP Subscribe plugin version 1.2.16 and earlier
• WordPress installations with WP Subscribe (wp-subscribe) plugin installed
• All versions from initial release through 1.2.16

Discovery Timeline

• January 23, 2026 - CVE-2026-24522 published to NVD
• January 26, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24522

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating that the WP Subscribe plugin fails to properly verify that users have the necessary permissions before granting access to certain functionality. The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication, meaning an attacker needs at least a subscriber-level account on the WordPress site to exploit this flaw.

The vulnerability allows unauthorized information disclosure, where attackers can access data they should not have permission to view. While the impact is limited to confidentiality exposure without integrity or availability effects, this can still lead to sensitive information being exposed to malicious actors.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-24522 is the absence of proper authorization checks within the WP Subscribe plugin's code paths. When handling certain requests, the plugin fails to verify whether the authenticated user has sufficient permissions to perform the requested action or access the requested data. This is a common vulnerability pattern in WordPress plugins where developers implement authentication (verifying who the user is) but neglect authorization (verifying what the user is allowed to do).

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring an authenticated user to exploit. An attacker would need to:

1. Obtain or create a low-privilege account on a target WordPress site (such as a subscriber account)
2. Craft requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints that lack proper authorization checks
3. Access restricted information or functionality that should only be available to higher-privileged users such as administrators

Since no user interaction is required from a victim and the attack complexity is low, exploitation is straightforward once an attacker has authenticated access to the target site.

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

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24522

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual API or AJAX requests to WP Subscribe plugin endpoints from low-privilege user accounts
• Access log entries showing subscriber-level users accessing administrative plugin functions
• Unexpected data access patterns or information queries from non-administrative users
• Authentication followed by unauthorized plugin endpoint access in rapid succession

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for unusual requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with WP Subscribe-related actions from non-admin users
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block exploitation attempts
• Review user activity logs for subscribers or contributors accessing plugin settings or data exports
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures targeting broken access control exploitation patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed WordPress audit logging to track all user actions and permission-sensitive operations
• Configure alerts for unusual access patterns, particularly low-privilege users accessing admin-level functionality
• Regularly review plugin access logs and user permission escalation attempts
• Implement real-time monitoring for AJAX requests with suspicious parameter combinations

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24522

Immediate Actions Required

• Update WP Subscribe plugin to a patched version when available from MyThemeShop
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating the WP Subscribe plugin until a fix is released
• Review and audit user accounts on affected WordPress installations, removing unnecessary low-privilege accounts
• Implement additional authorization controls at the server or WAF level

Patch Information

This vulnerability affects WP Subscribe versions through 1.2.16. Site administrators should check the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patch status and update to the newest available version when a fix is released.

Workarounds

• Restrict user registration on affected WordPress sites to limit the potential attacker pool
• Implement IP-based access controls for WordPress admin areas
• Use a security plugin to enforce stricter capability checks for all users
• Deploy a WAF with virtual patching capabilities to block exploitation attempts

# WordPress CLI command to check WP Subscribe version
wp plugin list --name=wp-subscribe --fields=name,version,status

# Temporarily deactivate the vulnerable plugin if no patch is available
wp plugin deactivate wp-subscribe

# Check for unauthorized user accounts
wp user list --role=subscriber --fields=ID,user_login,user_registered