CVE-2026-11616

Description

The Events Calendar for GeoDirectory plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to and including 2.3.28. This is due to the ajax_ayi_action() handler only applying strip_tags(esc_sql()) — with no allow-list — to the attacker-controlled $_POST['type'] and $_POST['postid'] values before forwarding them to update_ayi_data(), which calls update_user_meta($current_user->ID, $rsvp_args['type'], $posts). By passing type=wp_capabilities and postid=administrator, an attacker writes ['subscriber'=>true,'administrator'=>'administrator'] into their own wp_capabilities user meta; WP_User::get_role_caps() then treats the 'administrator' array key as an active role on the next request. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to Administrator.

CVSS v3.1 Score

8.8

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0028

Probability of exploitation

0.19%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-269 CWE-269

References

Other References

https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/events-for-geodirectory/tags/2.3.28/includes/class-geodir-event-ayi.php#L154 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/events-for-geodirectory/tags/2.3.28/includes/class-geodir-event-ayi.php#L357 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3533585%40events-for-geodirectory&new=3533585%40events-for-geodirectory&sfp_email=&sfph_mail= https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/11ba187b-1fe4-4077-ad9d-a07660133e91?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-11616? +

The Events Calendar for GeoDirectory plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to and including 2.3.28. This is due to the ajax_ayi_action() handler only applying strip_tags(esc_sql()) — with no allow-list — to the attacker-controlled $_POST['type'] and $_POST['postid'] values before forwarding them to update_ayi_data(), which calls update_user_meta($current_user->ID, $rsvp_args['type'], $posts). By passing type=wp_capabilities and postid=administrator, an attacker writes ['subscriber'=>true,'administrator'=>'administrator'] into their own wp_capabilities user meta; WP_User::get_role_caps() then treats the 'administrator' array key as an active role on the next request. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to Administrator. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-11616? +

CVE-2026-11616 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0028, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-11616? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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