CVE-2026-80438: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-px74-7f5f-fv49
CVSS 5.9
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-80438 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-80438 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-80438
GHSA Identifier GHSA-px74-7f5f-fv49
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-80438

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-80438, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The Ninja Forms WordPress plugin before 3.15.2 does not restrict its REST abilities to administrators, accepting a Ninja Forms WordPress plugin before 3.15.2-specific capability as equivalent to full site administration, which allows any user granted that capability to read Ninja Forms WordPress plugin before 3.15.2 settings and stored form submissions, overwrite the Ninja Forms WordPress plugin before 3.15.2's configuration, and create or modify arbitrary posts and pages. The capability belongs to no default WordPress role and the Ninja Forms WordPress plugin before 3.15.2 never grants it, so an administrator must have assigned it, typically when delegating access to the form builder.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-80438?
CVE-2026-80438 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-80438?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-80438?
CVE-2026-80438 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-80438?
CVE-2026-80438 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-80438?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-px74-7f5f-fv49",
  "modified" : "2026-09-04T15:36:06Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-04T09:31:58Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-80438" ],
  "details" : "The Ninja Forms  WordPress plugin before 3.15.2 does not restrict its REST abilities to administrators, accepting a Ninja Forms  WordPress plugin before 3.15.2-specific capability as equivalent to full site administration, which allows any user granted that capability to read Ninja Forms  WordPress plugin before 3.15.2 settings and stored form submissions, overwrite the Ninja Forms  WordPress plugin before 3.15.2's configuration, and create or modify arbitrary posts and pages.\nThe capability belongs to no default WordPress role and the Ninja Forms  WordPress plugin before 3.15.2 never grants it, so an administrator must have assigned it, typically when delegating access to the form builder.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80438"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/befced17-95ff-4809-ad13-f63bc60e5670"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-04T07:17:10Z"
  }
}