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Privilege escalation in MailOptin allows account takeover

Priority MEDIUM 49CWE-269Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
No fix listed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.

Summary

The MailOptin plugin for WordPress is affected in all versions up to and including 1.2.78.6. The subscribe_to_email_list endpoint accepts attacker-supplied form field mappings without validating their destination keys (CWE-269), so the mapping can overwrite the administrator's saved mapping. An unauthenticated remote attacker can use this to change the password of any existing WordPress account, including administrator accounts, and take over the site. Exploitation requires a WordPress user registration opt-in form to be published on the site.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28

Description from the CNA

The MailOptin – Popup, Optin Forms & Email Newsletters for Mailchimp, HubSpot, AWeber Etc. plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.78.6 This is due to the `subscribe_to_email_list` endpoint accepting an attacker-supplied `optin_data[form_custom_field_mappings]` parameter without any allow-list validation on destination keys, allowing the attacker-controlled mapping to override the administrator's saved mapping and pass arbitrary `wp_users` column names — including `ID` and `user_pass` — directly into `wp_insert_user()` via the `subscribe()` function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to force `wp_insert_user()` into UPDATE mode on any existing account by supplying a target user's numeric `ID`, overwrite that account's password with a pre-hashed value of their choosing, and thereby take over any WordPress user account — including administrators — leading to full site compromise. Exploitation requires that a WordPress User Registration opt-in form is published somewhere on the site, though the form's UUID is visible in page source and no authentication, nonce, or capability check is required to reach the vulnerable endpoint.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00439 38th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
properfractionMailOptin – Popup, Optin Forms & Email Newsletters for Mailchimp, HubSpot, AWeber Etc.up to 1.2.78.6—No fix listedCNA
  • MailOptin – Popup, Optin Forms & Email Newsletters for Mailchimp, HubSpot, AWeber Etc. Vendorproperfraction Affected up to 1.2.78.6 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

Remediation

The sources list no fixed version for MailOptin (Popup, Optin Forms & Email Newsletters for Mailchimp, HubSpot, AWeber Etc.).

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-16 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-109515
  2. 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  3. 2026-10-16 Alias added: GHSA-f6hj-w62g-r97p

References

  • TI-2021-13635 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-13638 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Arbitrary File Upload in File Uploader Component CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-13637 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Arbitrary File Upload in Image Uploader Component CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-13636 ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Authenticated Privilege Escalation CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2024-12168 ProfilePress < 4.15.20 - Admin+ Stored XSS CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.8
  • TI-2024-12167 ProfilePress < 4.15.20 - Admin+ Stored XSS CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.8
See all 63 →

Sources