{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-77203", "assignerOrgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Wordfence", "dateReserved": "2026-08-20T18:03:15.864Z", "datePublished": "2026-09-26T17:28:59.609Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-09-26T17:28:59.609Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599", "shortName": "Wordfence", "dateUpdated": "2026-09-26T17:28:59.609Z"}, "affected": [{"vendor": "itthinx", "product": "Groups \u2013 Memberships and Access Control", "versions": [{"version": "0", "status": "affected", "lessThanOrEqual": "4.6.0", "versionType": "semver"}], "defaultStatus": "unaffected"}], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "The Groups \u2013 Memberships and Access Control plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.6.0. This is due to the groups_join() function deriving group-join eligibility from the ambient post's author capabilities via the global $post->post_author rather than from the currently authenticated user's own capabilities, while simultaneously minting and returning a valid groups-join-data hash and WordPress nonce for the caller in the same response \u2014 eliminating all authorization barriers to self-enrollment. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to enroll themselves into any group including privileged groups carrying the groups_admin_groups capability, and to subsequently create and join a group containing every registered WordPress capability, effectively escalating their privileges to Administrator. Exploitation requires the attacker to supply an Administrator-authored post ID via the post_ID parameter of the authenticated wp_ajax_parse_media_shortcode handler in order to establish the privileged ambient post context used by the flawed authorization check."}], "title": "Groups <= 4.6.0 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via 'groups_join' Shortcode", "references": [{"url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e86dddc9-c1d3-426b-8ec7-2e56dc3c2379?source=cve"}, {"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L586"}, {"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L624"}, {"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L463"}, {"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/wp/class-groups-wordpress.php#L248"}, {"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L521"}, {"url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3693123/groups"}], "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "description": "CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management", "cweId": "CWE-269", "type": "CWE"}]}], "metrics": [{"cvssV3_1": {"version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H", "baseScore": 8.8, "baseSeverity": "HIGH"}}], "credits": [{"lang": "en", "type": "finder", "value": "daroo"}], "timeline": [{"time": "2026-09-26T04:34:00.000Z", "lang": "en", "value": "Disclosed"}]}}}

{}

{"affected": [{"affectedData": [{"defaultStatus": "unaffected", "product": "Groups \u2013 Memberships and Access Control", "vendor": "itthinx", "versions": [{"lessThanOrEqual": "4.6.0", "status": "affected", "version": "0", "versionType": "semver"}]}], "source": "security@wordfence.com"}], "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "The Groups \u2013 Memberships and Access Control plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.6.0. This is due to the groups_join() function deriving group-join eligibility from the ambient post's author capabilities via the global $post->post_author rather than from the currently authenticated user's own capabilities, while simultaneously minting and returning a valid groups-join-data hash and WordPress nonce for the caller in the same response \u2014 eliminating all authorization barriers to self-enrollment. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to enroll themselves into any group including privileged groups carrying the groups_admin_groups capability, and to subsequently create and join a group containing every registered WordPress capability, effectively escalating their privileges to Administrator. Exploitation requires the attacker to supply an Administrator-authored post ID via the post_ID parameter of the authenticated wp_ajax_parse_media_shortcode handler in order to establish the privileged ambient post context used by the flawed authorization check."}], "id": "CVE-2026-77203", "lastModified": "2026-09-26T18:16:29.917", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"cvssData": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH", "baseScore": 8.8, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "integrityImpact": "HIGH", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H", "version": "3.1"}, "exploitabilityScore": 2.8, "impactScore": 5.9, "source": "security@wordfence.com", "type": "Primary"}]}, "published": "2026-09-26T18:16:29.917", "references": [{"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L463"}, {"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L521"}, {"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L586"}, {"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/views/class-groups-shortcodes.php#L624"}, {"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/groups/tags/4.5.0/lib/wp/class-groups-wordpress.php#L248"}, {"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3693123/groups"}, {"source": "security@wordfence.com", "url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e86dddc9-c1d3-426b-8ec7-2e56dc3c2379?source=cve"}], "sourceIdentifier": "security@wordfence.com", "vulnStatus": "Received", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-269"}], "source": "security@wordfence.com", "type": "Primary"}]}

{}

{"created": "2026-09-26T18:30:07.226428+00:00", "updated": "2026-09-26T18:30:07.226441+00:00", "vendors": []}