CVE-2026-2001 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) found in the WowRevenue – Product Bundles & Bulk Discounts plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 2.1.3. The flaw exists in the 'Notice::install_activate_plugin' function, where the plugin fails to perform proper capability checks before allowing plugin installation. This missing authorization check enables any authenticated user with subscriber-level access or higher to install arbitrary plugins on the WordPress site. Since WordPress plugins run with the same privileges as the web server user, this can lead to remote code execution (RCE), allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or take full control of the affected server. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, indicating high severity, with an attack vector of network, low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patches or exploit code are currently publicly available, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a critical risk for sites using the plugin. Attackers could leverage this flaw to deploy backdoors, malware, or pivot within the network, severely impacting the security posture of affected organizations.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those operating e-commerce or content management systems based on WordPress that utilize the WowRevenue plugin. Unauthorized plugin installation can lead to remote code execution, resulting in data breaches, defacement, service disruption, or full system compromise. Confidential customer data, payment information, and intellectual property could be exposed or altered. The attack requires only subscriber-level access, which is often granted to registered users or customers, increasing the attack surface. This vulnerability could also be exploited to establish persistent footholds or launch further attacks within corporate networks. The reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR for data breaches could be severe, especially for organizations in highly regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and retail.

Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting subscriber-level permissions to prevent unauthorized plugin installation until a patch is released. Administrators should audit user roles and capabilities, removing unnecessary privileges from low-level users. Monitoring for unexpected plugin installations or modifications in the WordPress environment is critical. Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with rules to detect and block suspicious plugin installation attempts can provide additional protection. Organizations should subscribe to vendor and security advisories to apply patches promptly once available. As a longer-term measure, adopting the principle of least privilege for user roles and regularly reviewing plugin security posture will reduce risk. Backup and incident response plans should be updated to address potential exploitation scenarios related to this vulnerability.