Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.6.0
- Affected Plugin
- Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites
- Affected Version
2.5.2- CVSS
- 9.8Critical
- Weakness type
- CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
- CVE
CVE-2026-23800
At a glance
CVE-2026-23800 is a critical-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the Modular DS WordPress plugin, affecting versions 2.5.2. 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 2.6.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2026, reported by Dave Jong.
Vulnerability Overview
The Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in version 2.5.2. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to that of an administrator.
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
Reaching this weakness in Modular DS 2.5.2 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 Modular DS the fix is 2.6.0: builds 2.5.2 are affected, anything from 2.6.0 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.6.0, 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: Modular DS 2.6.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in Modular DS: Monitor, update, and backup multiple websites
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