CVE-2026-14281
Privilege escalation
- Published25 Sept 2026
Description
The Automation Web Platform – Notifications and OTP for WooCommerce, Advanced Country Code plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.8.6. This is due to missing permission enforcement on the publicly accessible REST route `POST /wp-json/wawp/v1/signup/<op>` and the absence of a key allowlist in the `finish_registration_logic` function, which copies the attacker-controlled `wawp_custom_fields` parameter directly into `update_user_meta()` — allowing sensitive meta keys such as `wp_capabilities` and `wp_user_level` to be set by the caller. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to register a new account with the administrator role and gain full administrative access to the site. When OTP verification is enabled at signup, the OTP session token (`otp_transient`) is returned in plaintext in the HTTP response body, and the `handle_magic_link_request()` handler marks that token as verified on any unauthenticated GET request containing it without ever checking the OTP code value — making the OTP step trivially bypassable with no inbox or SMS access required.
CVSS 3.1 breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HRemediation
No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.
References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/tags/4.8.6/includes/api/class-wawp-rest-settings-api.php#L342
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/tags/4.8.6/includes/api/class-wawp-rest-settings-api.php#L574
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/tags/4.8.6/includes/auth-services/class-wawp-otp-service.php#L477
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/tags/4.8.6/includes/auth-services/class-wawp-otp-service.php#L787
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/tags/4.8.6/includes/auth-services/class-wawp-signup.php#L1002
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/tags/4.8.6/includes/auth-services/class-wawp-signup.php#L845
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/trunk/includes/api/class-wawp-rest-settings-api.php#L342
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/trunk/includes/api/class-wawp-rest-settings-api.php#L574
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/trunk/includes/auth-services/class-wawp-otp-service.php#L477
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/automation-web-platform/trunk/includes/auth-services/class-wawp-otp-service.php#L787
and 4 more references
Related CVEs
Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.
Frequently asked
Is CVE-2026-14281 being actively exploited?
CVE-2026-14281 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.53%.
How severe is CVE-2026-14281?
CVE-2026-14281 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 0.53% probability of exploitation.
How do I fix CVE-2026-14281?
Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.
How Secuno handles this
Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-14281 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.
Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.