cve-2026-19598

CRITICAL CVSS 9.8 opencve
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.

Timeline
Published
2026-08-15 18:16 UTC
Last Modified
2026-08-20
CVSS Details

CVSS details not available.

Affected Products

No product information available.

Weaknesses (CWE)
CVSS metrics
Version Base Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Source
3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H mitre
3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H nvd
3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H opencve
References

No references available.

Linked Vulnerabilities

No linked vulnerabilities found.

{
  "cve": "CVE-2026-19598",
  "enrichment": {
    "affected": [
      {
        "configurations": [
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "affected",
            "versions": {
              "scheme": "generic",
              "value": "[2.8,2.8.23.3]"
            }
          },
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "affected",
            "versions": {
              "scheme": "generic",
              "value": "[2.9,2.9.19.3]"
            }
          },
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "affected",
            "versions": {
              "scheme": "generic",
              "value": "[3.0,3.0.10.3]"
            }
          },
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "affected",
            "versions": {
              "scheme": "generic",
              "value": "[3.1,3.1.4.1]"
            }
          },
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "affected",
            "versions": {
              "scheme": "generic",
              "value": "[3.2,3.2.8.2]"
            }
          },
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "affected",
            "versions": {
              "scheme": "generic",
              "value": "[3.3,3.3.9]"
            }
          }
        ],
        "enrichment": {
          "confidence": 100.0,
          "confidence_source": "cna",
          "scores": [
            {
              "score": 100.0,
              "source": "cna"
            }
          ]
        },
        "original": {
          "product": "Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields",
          "source": "cna",
          "vendor": "sc0ttkclark"
        },
        "product": "pods_–_custom_content_types_and_fields",
        "vendor": "sc0ttkclark"
      },
      {
        "configurations": [
          {
            "platform": null,
            "status": "unaffected",
            "versions": null
          }
        ],
        "enrichment": {
          "confidence": 80.0,
          "confidence_source": "inferred",
          "scores": [
            {
              "score": 80.0,
              "source": "inferred"
            },
            {
              "score": 100.0,
              "source": "matching"
            }
          ]
        },
        "product": "wordpress",
        "vendor": "wordpress"
      }
    ],
    "created": "2026-08-15T18:30:12.328704+00:00",
    "updated": "2026-08-25T15:30:05.673959+00:00",
    "vendors": [
      "sc0ttkclark",
      "sc0ttkclark$PRODUCT$pods_–_custom_content_types_and_fields",
      "wordpress",
      "wordpress$PRODUCT$wordpress"
    ]
  },
  "epss": {
    "score": 0.03521
  },
  "mitre": {
    "cpes": [],
    "created": "2026-08-15T17:25:26.723000+00:00",
    "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.",
    "metrics": {
      "cvssV2_0": {},
      "cvssV3_0": {},
      "cvssV3_1": {
        "score": 9.8,
        "vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
      },
      "cvssV4_0": {}
    },
    "mitre_repo_path": "cves/2026/19xxx/CVE-2026-19598.json",
    "references": [
      "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pods/tags/3.3.9/includes/general.php#L400",
      "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3628032a-3121-45a7-8a78-cfcd8ba6af2f?source=cve"
    ],
    "title": "Pods <= 3.3.9 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via Authorization Bypass to Admin Methods via 'pods_admin' AJAX Router",
    "updated": "2026-08-17T15:49:27.097000+00:00",
    "vendors": [],
    "weaknesses": [
      "CWE-863"
    ]
  },
  "nvd": {
    "cpes": [],
    "created": "2026-08-15T18:16:23.860000+00:00",
    "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.",
    "metrics": {
      "cvssV2_0": {},
      "cvssV3_0": {},
      "cvssV3_1": {
        "score": 9.8,
        "vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
      },
      "cvssV4_0": {}
    },
    "nvd_repo_path": "2026/CVE-2026-19598.json",
    "references": [
      "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pods/tags/3.3.9/includes/general.php#L400",
      "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3628032a-3121-45a7-8a78-cfcd8ba6af2f?source=cve"
    ],
    "title": null,
    "updated": "2026-08-20T12:48:10.287000+00:00",
    "vendors": [],
    "weaknesses": [
      "CWE-863"
    ]
  },
  "opencve": {
    "changes": [
      {
        "created": "2026-08-15T17:45:00+00:00",
        "data": [
          {
            "details": {
              "new": "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.",
              "old": null
            },
            "type": "description"
          },
          {
            "details": {
              "new": "Pods <= 3.3.9 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via Authorization Bypass to Admin Methods via 'pods_admin' AJAX Router",
              "old": null
            },
            "type": "title"
          },
          {
            "details": {
              "added": [
                "CWE-863"
              ],
              "removed": []
            },
            "type": "weaknesses"
          },
          {
            "details": {
              "added": [
                "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pods/tags/3.3.9/includes/general.php#L400",
                "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3628032a-3121-45a7-8a78-cfcd8ba6af2f?source=cve"
              ],
              "removed": []
            },
            "type": "references"
          },
          {
            "details": {
              "added": {
                "cvssV3_1": {
                  "score": 9.8,
                  "vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
                }
              },
              "removed": {},
              "updated": {}
            },
            "type": "metrics"
          }
        ],
        "id": "08f1ed7f-bad1-4ff0-ac84-a2f7076ebc3a"
      },
      {
        "created": "2026-08-17T11:30:00+00:00",
        "data": [
          {
            "details": [
              "sc0ttkclark",
              "sc0ttkclark$PRODUCT$pods_–_custom_content_types_and_fields",
              "wordpress",
              "wordpress$PRODUCT$wordpress"
            ],
            "type": "first_time"
          },
          {
            "details": {
              "added": [
                "sc0ttkclark",
                "sc0ttkclark$PRODUCT$pods_–_custom_content_types_and_fields",
                "wordpress",
                "wordpress$PRODUCT$wordpress"
              ],
              "removed": []
            },
            "type": "vendors"
          }
        ],
        "id": "c917cc0b-ceb7-477b-b1db-7079037c1d75"
      }
    ],
    "cpes": {
      "data": [],
      "providers": []
    },
    "created": {
      "data": "2026-08-15T17:25:26.723000+00:00",
      "provider": "mitre"
    },
    "description": {
      "data": "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.",
      "provider": "mitre"
    },
    "metrics": {
      "cvssV2_0": {
        "data": {},
        "provider": null
      },
      "cvssV3_0": {
        "data": {},
        "provider": null
      },
      "cvssV3_1": {
        "data": {
          "score": 9.8,
          "vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        },
        "provider": "mitre"
      },
      "cvssV4_0": {
        "data": {},
        "provider": null
      },
      "epss": {
        "data": {
          "score": 0.03521
        },
        "provider": "first"
      },
      "kev": {
        "data": {},
        "provider": null
      },
      "ssvc": {
        "data": {},
        "provider": null
      },
      "threat_severity": {
        "data": null,
        "provider": null
      }
    },
    "references": {
      "data": [
        "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pods/tags/3.3.9/includes/general.php#L400",
        "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3628032a-3121-45a7-8a78-cfcd8ba6af2f?source=cve"
      ],
      "providers": [
        "mitre",
        "nvd"
      ]
    },
    "title": {
      "data": "Pods <= 3.3.9 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via Authorization Bypass to Admin Methods via 'pods_admin' AJAX Router",
      "provider": "mitre"
    },
    "updated": {
      "data": "2026-08-17T10:59:21.134930+00:00",
      "provider": "enrichment"
    },
    "vendors": {
      "data": [
        "sc0ttkclark",
        "sc0ttkclark$PRODUCT$pods_–_custom_content_types_and_fields",
        "wordpress",
        "wordpress$PRODUCT$wordpress"
      ],
      "providers": [
        "enrichment"
      ]
    },
    "weaknesses": {
      "data": [
        "CWE-863"
      ],
      "providers": [
        "mitre",
        "nvd"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Enrichment data
View JSON API Download JSON