CVE-2026-24540: Integrate Google Drive Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2026-24540 Overview

CVE-2026-24540 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the princeahmed Integrate Google Drive WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.5.6. The plugin fails to enforce proper access control checks, allowing authenticated users with low privileges to access functionality that should require higher authorization. The weakness is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can interact with restricted plugin features over the network, leading to limited disclosure of information and limited integrity or availability impact on the affected WordPress site.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with low privileges can bypass access controls in the Integrate Google Drive plugin, exposing restricted plugin functionality and connected Google Drive resources.

Affected Products

princeahmed Integrate Google Drive WordPress plugin
All versions from n/a through <= 1.5.6
WordPress sites with the integrate-google-drive plugin installed and activated

Discovery Timeline

2026-01-23 - CVE-2026-24540 published to NVD
2026-04-28 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24540

Vulnerability Analysis

The Integrate Google Drive plugin exposes server-side handlers that should be restricted to administrators or specific user roles. The plugin does not validate the requesting user's capabilities before executing these handlers. Any authenticated user, including subscribers, can invoke the affected endpoints. The vulnerability falls within the broken access control category, where the access control logic is incorrectly configured at the application layer rather than at the web server level. The result is unauthorized access to Google Drive integration features intended for privileged roles only.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of capability checks (such as current_user_can()) on AJAX or REST endpoints registered by the plugin. WordPress requires plugin developers to explicitly verify user roles and nonces before executing privileged operations. The integrate-google-drive plugin registers handlers without enforcing these checks, leaving the functionality reachable by any authenticated session.

Attack Vector

An attacker requires a valid authenticated session on the target WordPress site, which can be obtained through subscriber-level registration on sites that permit open registration. The attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's exposed endpoints. Because the network is the attack surface and the complexity is low, automation across many WordPress instances is straightforward. The exploitation chain involves no user interaction beyond the attacker's own authentication. No public proof-of-concept has been published at this time. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for advisory details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24540

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected AJAX or REST requests to admin-ajax.php referencing integrate-google-drive actions from low-privileged user sessions
Outbound API calls to Google Drive originating from the WordPress host that do not correlate with administrator activity
New or modified files in the WordPress uploads directory associated with the plugin's import functionality
Authentication logs showing subscriber-level accounts performing operations on plugin endpoints

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for POST requests containing action= parameters tied to the integrate-google-drive plugin from non-administrator users
Correlate WordPress user role data with endpoint access patterns to surface privilege mismatches
Deploy a web application firewall rule that flags requests to plugin AJAX actions when the authenticated user lacks the manage_options capability

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on WordPress AJAX and REST endpoints, including caller user ID and role
Monitor for sudden spikes in authenticated requests from newly registered accounts targeting plugin paths
Track outbound traffic to googleapis.com from web server processes for anomalous frequency or volume

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24540

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Integrate Google Drive plugin to a version above 1.5.6 as soon as the vendor releases a fixed release
Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove unused or untrusted subscriber-level accounts
Disable open user registration on WordPress sites that do not require it by unchecking Anyone can register under Settings > General
Revoke and rotate Google Drive API credentials configured within the plugin if unauthorized activity is suspected

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the Patchstack Vulnerability Report tracks the issue against versions through 1.5.6. Administrators should monitor the plugin's WordPress.org listing for an updated release that adds capability checks to affected endpoints. Apply the patched version across all WordPress instances once available.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the integrate-google-drive plugin until a patched version is installed
Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and the WordPress REST API at the web application firewall layer for non-administrator users
Apply a virtual patch through a WAF rule that blocks integrate-google-drive actions when the request originates from a low-privileged session

bash

# Configuration example - disable the plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate integrate-google-drive
wp plugin delete integrate-google-drive