Vulnerability Description
The Pronamic Pay plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 10.1.0 This is due to the `maybe_update_user_role()` function passing an attacker-controlled Gravity Forms field value (`$lead[$feed->user_role_field_id]`) directly into `WP_User::set_role()` without any allowlist validation, capability comparison, or permission check to constrain which roles can be assigned. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to escalate their own WordPress account to Administrator by tampering with the role field value in a form submission. Exploitation requires that an administrator has already configured a Pronamic Pay payment feed in Gravity Forms with the **Update User Role** option enabled and mapped to a form field; once that configuration is in place, no further preconditions exist to prevent an authenticated attacker from exploiting this vulnerability.
CVSS Score
HIGH
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pronamic-ideal/tags/10.1.0/packages/w
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pronamic-ideal/tags/10.1.0/packages/w
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pronamic-ideal/tags/10.1.0/packages/w
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pronamic-ideal/tags/10.1.0/packages/w
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3630401/pronamic-ideal/trunk/packag
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?old_path=%2Fpronamic-ideal/tags/10.
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d42b8856-e5d0-4122-98a
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-16635?
CVE-2026-16635 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). The Pronamic Pay plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 10.1.0 This is due to the `maybe_update_user_role()` function passing an attacker-cont...
How severe is CVE-2026-16635?
CVE-2026-16635 has been rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.8/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-16635?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Review vendor security bulletins for remediation guidance.