CVE-2026-4609

ProfileGrid <= 5.9.8.4 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Group Joining

2026-05-12 00:00
Jonah Burgess (CryptoCat)

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.9.8.5
Affected Plugin
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities
Affected Version
<= 5.9.8.4
CVSS
7.1High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2026-4609
View all ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-4609 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.9.8.4. It carries a CVSS score of 7.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 5.9.8.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2026, reported by Jonah Burgess (CryptoCat).

Vulnerability Overview

The ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on the pm_invite_user function in all versions up to, and including, 5.9.8.4. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to add themselves or any registered user to any ProfileGrid group, including closed and paid groups, bypassing all authorization and payment gates.

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 integrity.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in ProfileGrid <= 5.9.8.4 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 5.9.8.5: builds <= 5.9.8.4 are affected, anything from 5.9.8.5 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.9.8.5, 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 5.9.8.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-4609https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/c3678b4d-0cd0-4873-8cf3-90c557931f4chttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-4609

Related records

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