InstaWP Connect <= 0.1.4.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via Role-as-Capability Admin Page and API Key Disclosure via 'instawp_sync_tab_roles' Role-as-Capability Setting

MITRE NVD CVE.ORG JSON API

Summary

CVECVE-2026-109400
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerWordfence
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-10-16 05:17:29 UTC
Updated2026-10-16 05:17:29 UTC
DescriptionThe InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 0.1.4.1 This is due to the plugin registering its admin page via `add_management_page()` using a role name returned by `InstaWP_Setting::get_allowed_role()` as the required capability — which WordPress resolves as a real capability match for any user holding that role — combined with `generate_section_field()` rendering the master API key from the `instawp_api_options` option directly as the `value` attribute of a plain-text HTML input with no additional `manage_options` or equivalent capability check. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above to read the plaintext master API key, use its SHA-256-derived secret as a bearer token accepted by the plugin's REST API `validate_api_request()`, and call `POST /wp-json/instawp-connect/v2/auto-login` to mint a 30-second single-use login URL that sets an administrator authentication cookie — fully escalating their privileges. Exploitation requires the site to be actively connected to InstaWP and an administrator to have added the attacker's role to the plugin's Sync Tab Access list (`instawp_sync_tab_roles`); notably, the settings tab suppression logic only hides the tab when `administrator` is absent from the list entirely, meaning a mixed configuration retaining administrator alongside a lower role still serves the full settings page — including the API key — to the lower-privileged user.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.5 HIGH from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Problem Types: CWE-269 | CWE-269 CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management

VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1[email protected]Primary7.5HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1CNADECLARED7.5HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Instawp InstaWP Connect 1-click WP Staging Migration affected 0.1.4.1 semver Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/admin/class-instawp-admi... [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/class-instawp-s... [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3743786/instawp-connect/trunk/includes/class-instaw... [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/class-instawp-h... [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/925b009e-3aeb-496d-8218-6ea5d... [email protected] www.wordfence.com
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/functions.php [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/class-instawp-s... [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.4.1/includes/apis/class-inst... [email protected] plugins.trac.wordpress.org
CVE Program record CVE.ORG www.cve.org canonical
NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis

Vendor Comments And Credit

Discovery Credit

CNA: thevietronin (en)

Additional Advisory Data

SourceTimeEvent
CNA2026-10-12T14:55:53.000ZVendor Notified
CNA2026-10-15T15:51:06.000ZDisclosed

© CVE.report 2026

Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. It is the responsibility of user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content. EACH USER WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY consequences of his or her direct or indirect use of this web site. ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. This site will NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT or any other kind of loss.

CVE, CWE, and OVAL are registred trademarks of The MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. This site includes MITRE data granted under the following license.

Free CVE JSON API cve.report/api

CVE.report and Source URL Uptime Status status.cve.report