CVE-2026-14281

Automation Web Platform <= 4.8.6 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via 'wawp_custom_fields' Parameter

2026-09-24 18:05
Jiemook

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 4.8.7
Affected Version
<= 4.8.6
CVSS
9.8Critical
Weakness type
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
CVE
CVE-2026-14281
View all Wawp Country Code & Chat Widget for WooCommerce vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-14281 is a critical-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the Wawp Country Code & Chat Widget for WooCommerce WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.8.6. It carries a CVSS score of 9.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 4.8.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2026, reported by Jiemook.

Vulnerability Overview

The Automation Web Platform – Notifications and OTP for WooCommerce, Advanced Country Code plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.8.6. This is due to missing permission enforcement on the publicly accessible REST route `POST /wp-json/wawp/v1/signup/<op>` and the absence of a key allowlist in the `finish_registration_logic` function, which copies the attacker-controlled `wawp_custom_fields` parameter directly into `update_user_meta()` — allowing sensitive meta keys such as `wp_capabilities` and `wp_user_level` to be set by the caller. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to register a new account with the administrator role and gain full administrative access to the site. When OTP verification is enabled at signup, the OTP session token (`otp_transient`) is returned in plaintext in the HTTP response body, and the `handle_magic_link_request()` handler marks that token as verified on any unauthenticated GET request containing it without ever checking the OTP code value — making the OTP step trivially bypassable with no inbox or SMS access required.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management

Wawp Country Code & Chat Widget for WooCommerce <= 4.8.6 carries this weakness at update_user_meta(), and reaching it takes no account at all. Improper privilege management means the code lets an account end up with capabilities its role should not have.

It converts a low-privileged account into an administrative one, which makes every other restriction on the site irrelevant. For Wawp Country Code & Chat Widget for WooCommerce the fix is 4.8.7: builds <= 4.8.6 are affected, anything from 4.8.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.8.7, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. None of that substitutes for the fix: Wawp Country Code & Chat Widget for WooCommerce 4.8.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C