CVE-2026-4297 json
Welcome Software Publishing <= 0.0.31 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Options Update to Privilege Escalation via 'nc.setOption' XML-RPC Method
published 4mo ago modified 4mo ago also EUVD-2026-38664
- cvss
- 8.8
- version 3.1, CNA
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 0.7%
- EPSS 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 52%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
The Welcome Software Publishing plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Options Update in all versions up to and including 0.0.31. This is due to a missing capability check in the nc_setOption() function, which is exposed via the nc.setOption XML-RPC method. The function authenticates the user via $wp_xmlrpc_server->login() (verifying credentials are valid) but does not perform any authorization check such as current_user_can('manage_options'). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to update arbitrary WordPress options via XML-RPC requests. This can be leveraged to change the default_role option to 'administrator' and then register a new administrator account, achieving full privilege escalation and site takeover.
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Check with FencerCISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
- Assessed
- 4mo ago
Exploit prediction
0.67% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 52% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 3.1 | 8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
Affected products
- newscred Welcome Software Publishing
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-862 Missing Authorization
- Technology feeds
References
- wordfence.com /threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/47e53fd3-4e3f-433a-8e70-3a58c864184a?source=cve
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/trunk/newscred.php#L272
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/tags/0.0.31/newscred.php#L272
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/trunk/newscred.php#L264
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/tags/0.0.31/newscred.php#L264
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/trunk/newscred.php#L265
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/tags/0.0.31/newscred.php#L265
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/trunk/newscred.php#L44
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org /browser/newscred-publishing/tags/0.0.31/newscred.php#L44
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2026-4297
- NVD CVE-2026-4297
Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.