---
id: CVE-2026-85659
title: >-
  PilotPress <= 2.0.43 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via
  Account Takeover via 'username' Parameter
summary: >-
  The PilotPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via
  Account Takeover in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.43. The
  vulnerability exists because the `update_cc_details()` AJAX handler forwards
  an attacker-sup…
severity: high
cvss: 8.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-269
vendor: ontraport
product: PilotPress
affected:
  - PilotPress <= 2.0.43
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T14:27:54.578795Z'
published: '2026-10-16'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T14:28:39.370Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-85659'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/ceee48dd-72a7-49c3-90d5-7af1a30f9ecb?source=cve
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L2380
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L1690
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L1029
  - url: >-
      https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/pilotpress/tags/2.0.39/pilotpress.php?rev=3642310#L1099
  - url: 'https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3737004'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00367
epssPercentile: 0.28985
ingestedAt: '2026-10-16T06:00:00.389Z'
---

## Overview

The PilotPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.43. The vulnerability exists because the `update_cc_details()` AJAX handler forwards an attacker-supplied `username` parameter to ONTRAPORT via `api_call('update_cc_details', ...)` before performing the local `username_exists()` collision check, and aborts without rolling back the remote rename when a collision is detected — leaving the remote ONTRAPORT contact renamed to an existing WordPress Administrator's login. On a subsequent login attempt, `user_login()` (hooked to `wp_authenticate`) authenticates against ONTRAPORT using the renamed login and the attacker's own password, resolves the local WordPress user row via `get_user_by('login', $username)` — which now selects the real Administrator's row — and calls `wp_set_password()` against that Administrator's user ID; because the `user_level != 10` guard only suppresses PilotPress's own cookie issuance rather than returning a `WP_Error` to core, WordPress proceeds to validate the newly-synchronized password and issues a full Administrator authentication cookie to the attacker. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above — specifically any PilotPress member holding a valid ONTRAPORT contact and the Customer Center nonce — to fully take over an Administrator account.

## Affected

- `PilotPress <= 2.0.43`

## Remediation

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