CVE-2026-54824: WPQuads Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-54824 Overview

CVE-2026-54824 is an unauthenticated sensitive data exposure vulnerability in the Ads by WPQuads WordPress plugin (also known as Quick AdSense Reloaded). The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.0.3. Unauthenticated remote attackers can access sensitive information exposed by the plugin without any user interaction or prior authentication. The weakness is classified under [CWE-497: Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere]. Patchstack published an advisory documenting the flaw and its impact on WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can retrieve sensitive plugin data over the network with low attack complexity, enabling reconnaissance and follow-on attacks against affected WordPress installations.

Affected Products

Ads by WPQuads WordPress plugin versions <= 3.0.3
Quick AdSense Reloaded (alternate plugin name)
WordPress sites deploying the vulnerable plugin release

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-26 - CVE-2026-54824 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-54824

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an unauthenticated sensitive data exposure in the Ads by WPQuads plugin. An attacker sends network requests to the WordPress site and receives sensitive plugin data without providing credentials. The issue is exploitable remotely with low attack complexity and no user interaction. The confidentiality impact is high, while integrity and availability are not affected. This aligns with the [CWE-497] classification, which describes information intended for internal use being exposed to unauthorized parties.

The EPSS probability is 0.294% at the 21st percentile, indicating a low near-term exploitation forecast. No public proof-of-concept has been published, and CISA has not added this identifier to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing authorization or access control on functionality that returns sensitive plugin data. The plugin exposes information without validating that the requester holds the required capability or authentication state. Sensitive fields intended for administrators or internal plugin logic become reachable by any anonymous visitor.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires only network access to the WordPress site. An attacker issues HTTP requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoint and parses the response for sensitive values. The lack of authentication means the technique scales easily against internet-exposed WordPress installations. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for advisory-level detail.

No verified exploit code is available. The mechanism is described in prose because no realCodeExamples were provided.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-54824

Indicators of Compromise

Anonymous HTTP requests to Ads by WPQuads plugin paths under /wp-content/plugins/quick-adsense-reloaded/ or associated AJAX/REST endpoints.
Unusual response sizes returned to unauthenticated clients from plugin endpoints.
Repeated automated scans against WordPress sites that enumerate WPQuads plugin versions.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for unauthenticated GET or POST requests targeting WPQuads plugin endpoints, especially from single source IPs iterating through parameters.
Correlate WordPress wp-admin/admin-ajax.php calls referencing WPQuads actions with the absence of an authenticated session cookie.
Compare installed plugin versions against 3.0.3 and flag hosts running vulnerable builds.

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on outbound data volumes from WordPress hosts that exceed baselines after requests to the plugin.
Monitor for reconnaissance patterns such as /readme.txt fetches followed by targeted plugin endpoint access.
Track new user-agent strings and IP ranges hitting WPQuads endpoints to identify scanning campaigns.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-54824

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress sites running Ads by WPQuads or Quick AdSense Reloaded at version 3.0.3 or earlier.
Update the plugin to a fixed release published after 3.0.3 as soon as the vendor makes it available.
Rotate any secrets, API keys, or credentials that the plugin may have exposed.

Patch Information

Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the current fixed version and vendor guidance. Apply the update through the WordPress plugin manager or via wp-cli once the patched release is confirmed.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the Ads by WPQuads plugin until a patched version is installed.
Restrict access to plugin endpoints at the web application firewall by blocking unauthenticated requests to WPQuads paths.
Enforce IP allow-listing for /wp-admin/ and admin-ajax.php where operationally feasible.

bash

# Configuration example: update plugin via WP-CLI once a fixed version is released
wp plugin update quick-adsense-reloaded
wp plugin list --name=quick-adsense-reloaded --fields=name,status,version