Search & Go <= 2.8 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.8.1
- Affected Theme
- Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme
- Affected Version
<= 2.8- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
- CVE
CVE-2026-24971
At a glance
CVE-2026-24971 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme WordPress theme, affecting versions <= 2.8. 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 2.8.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2026, reported by Phat RiO.
Vulnerability Overview
The Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to elevate 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 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 Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme <= 2.8 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 Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme the fix is 2.8.1: builds <= 2.8 are affected, anything from 2.8.1 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.8.1, 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: Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme 2.8.1 closes this, and updating the theme is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C