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CVE-2026-4003 - Userspn Plugin

CVE-2026-4003

The Users manager – PN plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Arbitrary User Meta Update in all versions up to and including 1.1.15. This is due to a flawed authorization logic check in the userspn_ajax_nopriv_server() function within the 'userspn_form_save' case. The conditional only blocks unauthenticated users when the user_id is empty, but when a non-empty user_id is supplied, execution bypasses this check entirely and proceeds to update arbitrary user meta via update_user_meta() without any authentication or authorization verification. Additionally, the nonce required for this AJAX endpoint ('userspn-nonce') is exposed to all visitors via wp_localize_script on the public wp_enqueue_scripts hook, rendering the nonce check ineffective as a security control. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to update arbitrary user metadata for any user account, including the userspn_secret_token field.

CVE-2026-4003

CRITICAL CVSS 9.8 Published 2026-04-08 Updated 2026-04-08
AI Risk Critical (96/100) Active Exploit: No strong signal Published Exploit: No public exploit references Priority: P1 Immediate
Severity Band CRITICAL
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Components 1
Reference Links 10
AI Risk Engine Critical (96/100)
Exploitability High
Active Exploitation No strong signal
Published Exploit Status No public exploit references

Threat Timeline

  1. 2026-04-08 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
  2. 2026-04-08 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
  3. 2026-04-09 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
  4. Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 6 days ago

AI enriched 6 days ago (2026-04-09 05:57 UTC)

Technical Summary

The Users manager – PN plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Arbitrary User Meta Update in all versions up to and including 1.1.15. This is due to a flawed authorization logic check in the userspn_ajax_nopriv_server() function within the 'userspn_form_save' case. The conditional only blocks unauthenticated users when the user_id is empty, but when a non-empty user_id is supplied, execution bypasses this check entirely and proceeds to update arbitrary user meta via update_user_meta() without any authentication or authorization…

Potential Impact

Severity is CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as High based on low-bar exploit prerequisites.

Primary risk drivers: low-bar exploit prerequisites

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

Userspn PLUGIN · userspn Affected: <= 1.1.15 Fixed version not specified

References

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