CVE-2026-22348 identifies a missing authorization vulnerability in the Tasos Fel Civic Cookie Control plugin, specifically versions up to and including 1.53. The vulnerability arises from incorrectly configured access control mechanisms that fail to properly verify whether a user is authorized to perform certain actions within the plugin. This flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authorization checks and potentially access or manipulate cookie control settings. The vulnerability is network exploitable without requiring any privileges or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The impact is limited to confidentiality, with no direct effects on integrity or availability, resulting in a medium severity rating and a CVSS score of 5.3. The plugin is commonly used to manage cookie consent banners and compliance with privacy regulations such as GDPR. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized disclosure of cookie control configurations or settings, which could undermine privacy compliance efforts. The lack of vendor patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention to access control policies and monitoring. Organizations should review their deployment of Civic Cookie Control, restrict access to administrative interfaces, and prepare to apply vendor patches once released.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the confidentiality of cookie control configurations, which are critical for ensuring compliance with GDPR and other privacy regulations. Unauthorized access could allow attackers to view or alter cookie consent settings, potentially leading to non-compliance with legal requirements and subsequent regulatory penalties. While the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the exposure of sensitive configuration data can damage organizational reputation and trust. Organizations heavily reliant on Civic Cookie Control for managing user consent are at greater risk. The ease of remote exploitation without authentication increases the likelihood of attacks, especially against publicly accessible administrative endpoints. This could be exploited by attackers to gather intelligence on privacy controls or to subtly alter consent mechanisms, impacting user privacy. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. Overall, the impact is moderate but significant in the context of privacy compliance and regulatory scrutiny in Europe.

1. Immediately restrict network access to the Civic Cookie Control administrative interfaces using firewalls, VPNs, or IP whitelisting to limit exposure to trusted personnel only. 2. Implement strong authentication and authorization controls around the plugin’s configuration endpoints, ensuring only authorized users can access or modify settings. 3. Monitor logs for unusual or unauthorized access attempts targeting the cookie control plugin. 4. Stay informed about vendor updates and apply patches promptly once they become available to address the missing authorization flaw. 5. Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on access control mechanisms of web applications managing privacy compliance. 6. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block unauthorized attempts to access or manipulate cookie control settings. 7. Educate administrators on the importance of securing privacy compliance tools and the risks associated with misconfigurations. 8. If patching is delayed, consider temporary mitigation by disabling or limiting the plugin’s functionality to reduce attack surface.