CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-5144NVD status: Deferred

BuddyPress Groupblog: Improper Privilege Management

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-5144 is a high-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in BuddyPress Groupblog from Boonebgorges, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected BuddyPress Groupblog versions: 1.9.3 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.42% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of BuddyPress Groupblog you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
BoonebgorgesBuddyPress Groupblog1.9.3 and earlierNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (wordfence.com).

Official description

The BuddyPress Groupblog plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.3. This is due to the group blog settings handler accepting the `groupblog-blogid`, `default-member`, and `groupblog-silent-add` parameters from user input without proper authorization checks. The `groupblog-blogid` parameter allows any group admin (including Subscribers who create their own group) to associate their group with any blog on the Multisite network, including the main site (blog ID 1). The `default-member` parameter accepts any WordPress role, including `administrator`, without validation against a whitelist. When combined with `groupblog-silent-add`, any user who joins the attacker's group is automatically added to the targeted blog with the injected role. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to escalate any user (including themselves via a second account) to Administrator on the main site of the Multisite network.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Privilege Management

The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
  • Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.

More Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities (CWE-269)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities

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