CVE-2026-109400 json
InstaWP Connect <= 0.1.4.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via Role-as-Capability Admin Page and API Key Disclosure via 'instawp_sync_tab_roles' Role-as-Capability Setting
published 24d ago modified 24d ago also EUVD-2026-102643
- cvss
- 7.5
- version 3.1, CNA
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 0.3%
- EPSS 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 27%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
The InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 0.1.4.1 This is due to the plugin registering its admin page via `add_management_page()` using a role name returned by `InstaWP_Setting::get_allowed_role()` as the required capability — which WordPress resolves as a real capability match for any user holding that role — combined with `generate_section_field()` rendering the master API key from the `instawp_api_options` option directly as the `value` attribute of a plain-text HTML input with no additional `manage_options` or equivalent capability check. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above to read the plaintext master API key, use its SHA-256-derived secret as a bearer token accepted by the plugin's REST API `validate_api_request()`, and call `POST /wp-json/instawp-connect/v2/auto-login` to mint a 30-second single-use login URL that sets an administrator authentication cookie — fully escalating their privileges. Exploitation requires the site to be actively connected to InstaWP and an administrator to have added the attacker's role to the plugin's Sync Tab Access list (`instawp_sync_tab_roles`); notably, the settings tab suppression logic only hides the tab when `administrator` is absent from the list entirely, meaning a mixed configuration retaining administrator alongside a lower role still serves the full settings page — including the API key — to the lower-privileged user.
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Check with FencerCISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
- Assessed
- 24d ago
Exploit prediction
0.34% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 27% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 3.1 | 7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
Affected products
- instawp InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management
- Technology feeds
References
- wordfence.com /threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/925b009e-3aeb-496d-8218-6ea5dc9d9989?source=cve
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/class-instawp-setting.php#L186
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/admin/class-instawp-admin.php#L153
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/class-instawp-setting.php#L91
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/apis/class-instawp-rest-api.php#L663
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/class-instawp-hooks.php#L194
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/functions.php#L1041
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /changeset/3743786/instawp-connect/trunk/includes/class-instawp-setting.php
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2026-109400
- NVD CVE-2026-109400
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