CVE-2026-18322

Smart Popup by Supsystic <= 1.12.0 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation to Administrator

2026-08-04 16:04
daroo

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 1.13.0
Affected Version
<= 1.12.0
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
CVE
CVE-2026-18322
View all Smart Popup by Supsystic vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-18322 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the Smart Popup by Supsystic WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.12.0. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 1.13.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2026, reported by daroo.

Vulnerability Overview

The Smart Popup by Supsystic plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 1.12.0. This is due to a permission map collision in the `havePermissions()` function in `classes/frame.php`, where `array_merge()` overwrites the popup module's administrator-restricted method list with the base controller's value, silently removing `save` from protected actions; this is compounded by the subscription confirmation email embedding the same generic `pps_nonce` that the unauthenticated `wp_ajax_nopriv_save` endpoint accepts, and by the complete absence of any server-side role allowlist in `createWpSubscriber()`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to submit a crafted POST request to `admin-ajax.php` using a nonce obtained from a public subscription confirmation email, setting `params[tpl][sub_wp_create_user_role]` to `administrator` via the exposed `popupControllerPps::save()` action, and then triggering the stored confirmation flow to create a persistent WordPress Administrator account with attacker-chosen credentials.

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 interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management

Smart Popup by Supsystic <= 1.12.0 carries this weakness at havePermissions(), 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 Smart Popup by Supsystic the fix is 1.13.0: builds <= 1.12.0 are affected, anything from 1.13.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.13.0, or a newer patched version

How WordSec helps

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: Smart Popup by Supsystic 1.13.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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