CVE-2026-24529: Quick Restaurant Reservations Auth Bypass

CVE-2026-24529 Overview

CVE-2026-24529 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the Quick Restaurant Reservations WordPress plugin developed by Alejandro. This vulnerability allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially enabling unauthorized actions within the plugin's functionality. The vulnerability stems from broken access control mechanisms that fail to properly verify user permissions before executing privileged operations.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authorization controls to perform unauthorized actions on restaurant reservation systems, potentially manipulating booking data or accessing restricted functionality.

Affected Products

• Quick Restaurant Reservations WordPress plugin version 1.6.7 and earlier
• All WordPress installations running vulnerable versions of quick-restaurant-reservations

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-23 - CVE CVE-2026-24529 published to NVD
• 2026-01-28 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24529

Vulnerability Analysis

This Missing Authorization vulnerability exists due to inadequate access control implementation within the Quick Restaurant Reservations plugin. The plugin fails to properly verify that users have appropriate permissions before allowing them to execute certain actions. This type of broken access control vulnerability is particularly concerning in WordPress plugins as it can be exploited remotely without authentication.

The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass security restrictions that should normally prevent unauthorized access to plugin functionality. Without proper authorization checks, any user—including unauthenticated visitors—may be able to interact with reservation data or administrative features that should be restricted to authenticated administrators.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-24529 is the absence of proper authorization verification in the Quick Restaurant Reservations plugin's request handling logic. WordPress plugins must implement capability checks using functions like current_user_can() to verify user permissions before processing sensitive operations. When these checks are missing or improperly implemented, attackers can directly access functionality intended only for authorized users.

This represents a classic broken access control scenario where the application assumes that hiding functionality from the user interface is sufficient protection, rather than implementing server-side authorization validation.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests directly to the vulnerable plugin endpoints, bypassing the intended access control mechanisms.

The exploitation process typically involves:

1. Identifying vulnerable AJAX actions or REST API endpoints exposed by the plugin
2. Crafting malicious requests that target these endpoints without proper authorization tokens
3. Manipulating reservation data or accessing restricted functionality through unauthorized requests

Since no code examples are verified for this vulnerability, administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for detailed technical information about the specific attack methodology.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24529

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to restaurant reservation records without corresponding authenticated admin sessions
• Unusual HTTP requests to Quick Restaurant Reservations plugin endpoints from external sources
• Log entries showing AJAX or REST API calls to plugin functions without valid WordPress nonces
• Changes to plugin settings or reservation data during times when administrators were not active

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with actions related to the quick-restaurant-reservations plugin
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting plugin endpoints
• Review audit logs for unauthorized changes to reservation data or plugin configurations
• Deploy integrity monitoring to detect unexpected modifications to plugin files

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all WordPress plugin-related HTTP requests
• Configure alerts for multiple failed or suspicious authorization attempts
• Implement real-time monitoring of reservation database tables for unexpected modifications
• Set up notifications for any plugin configuration changes outside of scheduled maintenance windows

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24529

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Quick Restaurant Reservations plugin to a patched version when available from the developer
• Audit current reservation data for any signs of unauthorized modifications
• Review WordPress user accounts and remove any suspicious or unnecessary accounts
• Consider temporarily disabling the plugin if no patch is available and the functionality is not critical

Patch Information

No official patch information is currently available from the vendor. Organizations should monitor the WordPress plugin repository and the developer's official channels for security updates. The vulnerability affects Quick Restaurant Reservations versions through 1.6.7. Administrators should update to any version higher than 1.6.7 once a patched release becomes available.

For the latest security advisory and patch status, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Implement a Web Application Firewall with rules to restrict access to plugin AJAX and REST endpoints
• Use WordPress security plugins to add additional authorization layers and limit access to admin functionality
• Restrict access to WordPress admin areas by IP address if feasible for your environment
• Consider using .htaccess rules to limit access to sensitive plugin directories

# Example .htaccess rules to restrict plugin access
# Place in wp-content/plugins/quick-restaurant-reservations/
<Files "*.php">
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
</Files>