CVE-2026-17553: CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management in levelfourstorefront Shopping Cart & eCommerce Store
Description
The WP EasyCart plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in versions up to, and including, 5.9.3. This is due to the ec_ajax_save_page_default_options() AJAX handler iterating over every $_POST key and passing it directly into update_option() without any allowlist, while gating the handler only on 'manage_options' OR the plugin's custom 'wpec_manager' capability. The plugin's built-in 'wpec_store_manager' role holds 'wpec_manager' but not 'manage_options', and the required nonce is emitted on frontend product/category templates that render for any user with 'wpec_manager'. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Store Manager-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to administrator by updating arbitrary WordPress options such as default_role='administrator' and users_can_register='1', then self-registering a new account that is assigned the administrator role.
CVSS v3.1
7.2high
Affected software
levelfourstorefront
Shopping Cart & eCommerce Store
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-17553 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the WP EasyCart WordPress plugin (up to version 5.9.3). The ec_ajax_save_page_default_options() AJAX handler iterates over all $_POST keys and passes them directly to update_option() without an allowlist. Access to this handler is gated by either the 'manage_options' capability or the plugin's custom 'wpec_manager' capability. The 'wpec_store_manager' role holds 'wpec_manager' but not 'manage_options', and the required nonce is exposed on frontend templates for users with 'wpec_manager'. This allows authenticated attackers with Store Manager-level access to update arbitrary WordPress options, including setting default_role to 'administrator' and enabling user registration, thereby allowing self-registration of new administrator accounts.
Potential Impact
An attacker with Store Manager-level access or higher can escalate privileges to administrator by exploiting this vulnerability. This enables full control over the WordPress site, including modifying site settings and user roles, which can lead to complete site compromise.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict Store Manager-level access to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious changes to WordPress options related to user roles and registration. Avoid exposing the vulnerable AJAX handler to untrusted users.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Wordfence
- Date Reserved
- 07/27/2026
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6aa0d80cacd9273b49ac6fbc
Added to database: 09/09/2026, 03:52:44 UTC
Last enriched: 09/09/2026, 04:07:09 UTC
Last updated: 10/24/2026, 08:45:10 UTC
Views: 72
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