CVE-2026-22393 is an authorization bypass vulnerability affecting Mikado-Themes Curly, a WordPress theme product, in versions up to and including 3.3. The vulnerability stems from an incorrectly configured access control mechanism that relies on user-controlled keys, allowing an attacker with limited privileges (requiring some level of authentication) to bypass authorization checks. This means that an attacker who has some access to the system can manipulate keys or parameters that control security levels to gain unauthorized access to restricted functions or data. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network, increasing its risk profile. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely with low attack complexity, requires privileges but no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent, without affecting availability. No patches or exploit code are currently publicly available, and no known exploitation in the wild has been reported. The root cause is a design or implementation flaw in how the theme handles access control keys, which should be controlled by the system rather than user input. This vulnerability could allow attackers to access or modify data or functionality they should not have permission to use, potentially leading to data leakage or unauthorized changes within affected WordPress sites.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2026-22393 depends largely on the extent to which Mikado-Themes Curly is deployed in their web infrastructure. Organizations using this theme in customer-facing or internal portals could face unauthorized data exposure or integrity violations if attackers exploit this flaw. Although the vulnerability does not affect availability, unauthorized access could lead to reputational damage, compliance violations (especially under GDPR if personal data is involved), and potential lateral movement within compromised environments. Small and medium enterprises that rely on WordPress themes for their websites without rigorous security controls are particularly at risk. The medium severity rating suggests moderate risk, but the ease of remote exploitation and lack of user interaction required increase the urgency for mitigation. Since the vulnerability requires some level of authentication, attackers would need to compromise or obtain user credentials first, which may limit exploitation but does not eliminate risk. European organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, media, and professional services that use Mikado-Themes Curly should be vigilant.

1. Immediately review and update Mikado-Themes Curly to the latest version once a patch is released by the vendor. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict access to administrative and privileged user accounts and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication (MFA). 3. Audit and tighten access control configurations within the WordPress environment and the theme settings to ensure that user-controlled keys or parameters cannot override security levels. 4. Implement web application firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block anomalous requests attempting to manipulate authorization keys or parameters. 5. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns or privilege escalations related to the theme’s functionality. 6. Educate administrators and developers about the risks of user-controlled keys in access control and encourage secure coding practices. 7. Limit the number of users with privileged access to the minimum necessary. 8. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on authorization controls in web applications using Mikado-Themes Curly.