CVE-2026-19598: Pods (WordPress plugin) · Incorrect Authorization
Affects Pods (WordPress plugin)Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · public detection template (Nuclei) · CVSS 9.8 Critical.
Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC
- EPSS
- 3.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 89% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: Pods <= 3.3.9 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via pods_admin AJAX Router
Weaponized: evidence found.
Public exploit code: GitHub proofs of concept
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), GitHub proofs of concept, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 13 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| sc0ttkclarkPods – Custom Content Types and Fields | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Until an official fix is released, restrict access to the plugin's AJAX endpoints and monitor for suspicious activity. Avoid using affected versions in production environments.
Description
The Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Authorization Bypass in all versions up to, and including, 3.3.9. The vulnerability exists because the pods_admin AJAX router funnels every access check — including the method allowlist, nonce verification, login enforcement, and capability gate — through pods_error(), which under the JSON meta-box-loader compatibility path only writes failures to the PHP error log and returns false instead of terminating the request, rendering all guards ineffective. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to Administrator or overwrite the password of any user account, including the site owner's, enabling complete site takeover, or perform another administrator action.