---
id: CVE-2026-75927
title: >-
  PublishPress Capabilities <= 2.50.0 - Authenticated (Editor+) Privilege
  Escalation to Fresh-Install Default Capability Grant
summary: >-
  The PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Editor, Access Permissions, User
  Capabilities, Admin Menus plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege
  Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.50.0. This is due to the
  `addPluginCa…
severity: high
cvss: 7.2
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-269
vendor: publishpress
product: 'User Role Editor – PublishPress Capabilities: Access Control and User Roles'
affected:
  - >-
    user_role_editor_publishpress_capabilities_access_control_and_user_roles <=
    2.50.0
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-09-11T20:10:08.236422Z'
published: '2026-09-09'
updated: '2026-09-11'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-11T20:19:14.220Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-75927'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/2f35ab5c-f897-404b-92ea-71bf1c98e0c0?source=cve
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/capability-manager-enhanced/tags/2.50.0/classes/pp-capabilities-installer.php#L78
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/capability-manager-enhanced/tags/2.50.0/includes/admin-load.php#L758
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/capability-manager-enhanced/tags/2.50.0/includes/functions-admin.php#L361
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/capability-manager-enhanced/tags/2.50.0/includes/settings-handler.php#L22
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/capability-manager-enhanced/tags/2.50.0/includes/manager.php#L1186
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3665572%40capability-manager-enhanced&new=3665572%40capability-manager-enhanced
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00639
epssPercentile: 0.48518
ingestedAt: '2026-09-14T11:11:19.883Z'
---

## Overview

The PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Editor, Access Permissions, User Capabilities, Admin Menus plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.50.0. This is due to the `addPluginCapabilities()` function unconditionally granting the Editor role all 15 `manage_capabilities_*` capabilities — including `manage_capabilities`, `manage_capabilities_roles`, `manage_capabilities_settings`, and `manage_capabilities_backup` — via a hard-coded `$eligible_roles = ['administrator', 'editor']` assignment that runs automatically on the first `admin_init` after plugin activation with no administrator opt-in, persisting the grants directly to the database. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Editor-level access to elevate their privileges to a site-wide capability manager, enabling them to create, rename, and delete non-system roles, modify capabilities of non-administrator roles, restore role backups, and write arbitrary plugin options whose names begin with `cme_`, `capsman`, `pp_capabilities`, or `presspermit` via `update_option()`. The escalation stops short of full Administrator access, as WordPress's `map_meta_cap` layer still prevents the escalated Editor from granting administrator-only capabilities to other roles; however, all role-management and plugin-settings functionality gated solely on `manage_capabilities_*` capabilities remains fully accessible.

## Affected

- `user_role_editor_publishpress_capabilities_access_control_and_user_roles <= 2.50.0`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.