GHSA-PH8G-MCQH-5P98
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-10-16 06:30 – Updated: 2026-10-16 06:30The PilotPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.43. The vulnerability exists because the update_cc_details() AJAX handler forwards an attacker-supplied username parameter to ONTRAPORT via api_call('update_cc_details', ...) before performing the local username_exists() collision check, and aborts without rolling back the remote rename when a collision is detected — leaving the remote ONTRAPORT contact renamed to an existing WordPress Administrator's login. On a subsequent login attempt, user_login() (hooked to wp_authenticate) authenticates against ONTRAPORT using the renamed login and the attacker's own password, resolves the local WordPress user row via get_user_by('login', $username) — which now selects the real Administrator's row — and calls wp_set_password() against that Administrator's user ID; because the user_level != 10 guard only suppresses PilotPress's own cookie issuance rather than returning a WP_Error to core, WordPress proceeds to validate the newly-synchronized password and issues a full Administrator authentication cookie to the attacker. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above — specifically any PilotPress member holding a valid ONTRAPORT contact and the Customer Center nonce — to fully take over an Administrator account.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-85659"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-269"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-10-16T06:17:11Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "The PilotPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.43. The vulnerability exists because the `update_cc_details()` AJAX handler forwards an attacker-supplied `username` parameter to ONTRAPORT via `api_call(\u0027update_cc_details\u0027, ...)` before performing the local `username_exists()` collision check, and aborts without rolling back the remote rename when a collision is detected \u2014 leaving the remote ONTRAPORT contact renamed to an existing WordPress Administrator\u0027s login. On a subsequent login attempt, `user_login()` (hooked to `wp_authenticate`) authenticates against ONTRAPORT using the renamed login and the attacker\u0027s own password, resolves the local WordPress user row via `get_user_by(\u0027login\u0027, $username)` \u2014 which now selects the real Administrator\u0027s row \u2014 and calls `wp_set_password()` against that Administrator\u0027s user ID; because the `user_level != 10` guard only suppresses PilotPress\u0027s own cookie issuance rather than returning a `WP_Error` to core, WordPress proceeds to validate the newly-synchronized password and issues a full Administrator authentication cookie to the attacker. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above \u2014 specifically any PilotPress member holding a valid ONTRAPORT contact and the Customer Center nonce \u2014 to fully take over an Administrator account.",
"id": "GHSA-ph8g-mcqh-5p98",
"modified": "2026-10-16T06:30:28Z",
"published": "2026-10-16T06:30:28Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85659"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L1029"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L1099"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L1690"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L2380"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3737004"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/ceee48dd-72a7-49c3-90d5-7af1a30f9ecb?source=cve"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
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