WP Grid Builder <= 2.3.3 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via 'key' Parameter
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.3.4
- Affected Plugin
- WP Grid Builder
- Affected Version
<= 2.3.3- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
- CVE
CVE-2026-13756
At a glance
CVE-2026-13756 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the WP Grid Builder WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.3.3. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.3.4; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2026, reported by h0xilo.
Vulnerability Overview
The WP Grid Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.3.3. This is due to missing authorization and meta key validation in the `update()` handler for the `/wp-json/wpgb/v2/metadata` REST endpoint. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to Administrator by updating their own `wp_capabilities` user meta with a crafted nested array payload.
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
WP Grid Builder <= 2.3.3 carries this weakness at update(), and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. 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 WP Grid Builder the fix is 2.3.4: builds <= 2.3.3 are affected, anything from 2.3.4 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.3.4, 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: WP Grid Builder 2.3.4 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
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