CVE-2026-3629

Import and export users and customers <= 1.29.7 - Privilege Escalation to Administrator via save_extra_user_profile_fields

2026-03-21 10:03
kai63001

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.0
Affected Plugin
Import and export users and customers
Affected Version
<= 1.29.7
CVSS
8.1High
Weakness type
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
CVE
CVE-2026-3629
View all Import and export users and customers vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-3629 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the Import and export users and customers WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.29.7. It carries a CVSS score of 8.1 (reachable over the network; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2026, reported by kai63001.

Vulnerability Overview

The Import and export users and customers plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all versions up to, and including, 1.29.7. This is due to the 'save_extra_user_profile_fields' function not properly restricting which user meta keys can be updated via profile fields. The 'get_restricted_fields' method does not include sensitive meta keys such as 'wp_capabilities'. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to Administrator by submitting a crafted registration request that sets the 'wp_capabilities' meta key. The vulnerability can only be exploited if the "Show fields in profile" setting is enabled and a CSV with a wp_capabilities column header has been previously imported.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, 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

Import and export users and customers <= 1.29.7 carries this weakness at save_extra_user_profile_fields, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. 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 Import and export users and customers the fix is 2.0: builds <= 1.29.7 are affected, anything from 2.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Import and export users and customers 2.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-3629https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/48dd9098-38e6-49da-8d22-27e12fddef51https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-3629

Related records

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