dbcve.org
Improper Privilege ManagementWeakness · CWE-269

CVE-2026-1993

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress plugin is vulnerable to Improper Privilege Management in versions 7.1.0 through 9.0.2. This is due to the `update_settings()` function accepting arbitrary plugin setting names without a whitelist of allowed settings. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with the `exactmetrics_save_settings` capability to modify any plugin setting, including the `save_settings` option that controls which user roles have access to plugin functionality. The admin intended to delegate configuration access to a trusted user, not enable that user to delegate access to everyone. By setting `save_settings` to include `subscriber`, an attacker can grant plugin administrative access to all subscribers on the site.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The ExactMetrics WordPress plugin versions 7.1.0-9.0.2 contain an improper privilege management vulnerability in the `update_settings()` function, which lacks a whitelist for allowed settings. Authenticated users with the `exactmetrics_save_settings` capability can modify any plugin setting, including the `save_settings` option that controls which user roles have access to plugin functionality, enabling privilege escalation by granting subscriber-level users administrative plugin access.

MitigationUpgrade to ExactMetrics version 9.0.3 or later which implements a whitelist for allowed settings. Until patched, strictly limit the `exactmetrics_save_settings` capability to only the most trusted administrators.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm ExactMetrics plugin is installed
    In the WordPress admin dashboard, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for ExactMetrics (or ExactMetrics Lite). Note the installed version number displayed.
    Affected if ExactMetrics plugin is installed and version is 7.1.0 through 9.0.2 inclusive
  2. Verify the installed version against affected range
    Compare the installed version number you found. The affected range is 7.1.0 through 9.0.2. Versions prior to 7.1.0 and versions 9.0.3 and later are not vulnerable.
    Affected if Installed version falls between 7.1.0 and 9.0.2 inclusive
  3. Check which user roles have the exactmetrics_save_settings capability
    Query the WordPress database or use a role/capability inspection plugin to determine which roles or users possess the 'exactmetrics_save_settings' capability. Look particularly for whether subscriber-level or contributor-level accounts have this capability.
    Affected if Non-administrator roles (such as subscriber, contributor, or author) have been granted the exactmetrics_save_settings capability, or the capability has been assigned to low-privilege user accounts
  4. Inspect the save_settings configuration value
    Examine the ExactMetrics plugin settings in the WordPress database (wp_options table, look for option_name containing 'exactmetrics_settings' or 'save_settings') or through the plugin settings UI. Check what roles are permitted access in the save_settings configuration.
    Affected if The save_settings configuration has been modified to include subscriber, contributor, or author roles, indicating the privilege escalation has been exploited

A user is affected if they have ExactMetrics version 7.1.0-9.0.2 installed AND the exactmetrics_save_settings capability or the save_settings configuration has been granted to non-administrator user roles.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to ExactMetrics version 9.0.3 or later which implements a whitelist for allowed settings. Until patched, strictly limit the `exactmetrics_save_settings` capability to only the most trusted administrators.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 9.0.3 or later (upgrade to latest stable release)

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress
  4. If the current version is 7.1.0 through 9.0.2, click Update Now to upgrade to the latest available version
  5. Alternatively, download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins/exactmetrics/ and upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  6. After updating, verify the new version number in the Plugins list

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-1993 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-1993 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data