CVE-2026-2488

ProfileGrid <= 5.9.8.1 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Message Deletion

2026-03-06 11:44
Sergej Ljubojevic

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.9.8.2
Affected Plugin
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities
Affected Version
<= 5.9.8.1
CVSS
4.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2026-2488
View all ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-2488 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.9.8.1. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 5.9.8.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2026, reported by Sergej Ljubojevic.

Vulnerability Overview

The ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized message deletion due to a missing capability check on the pg_delete_msg() function in all versions up to, and including, 5.9.8.1. This is due to the function not verifying that the requesting user has permission to delete the targeted message. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete arbitrary messages belonging to any user by sending a direct request with a valid message ID (mid parameter).

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.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

ProfileGrid <= 5.9.8.1 carries this weakness at pg_delete_msg(), and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For ProfileGrid the fix is 5.9.8.2: builds <= 5.9.8.1 are affected, anything from 5.9.8.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.9.8.2, 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: ProfileGrid 5.9.8.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-2488https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/4c611fa0-28ef-4425-8614-fb61e250e625https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-2488

Related records

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