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Authorization Bypass (IDOR)Weakness · CWE-639

CVE-2026-2257

MEDIUM · 6.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
70/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 GetGenie plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 4.3.2 due to missing validation on a user controlled key in the `action` function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to update post metadata for arbitrary posts. Combined with a lack of input sanitization, this leads to Stored Cross-Site Scripting when a higher-privileged user (such as an Administrator) views the affected post's "Competitor" tab in the GetGenie sidebar.

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 GetGenie WordPress plugin versions up to 4.3.2 contain an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in the `action` function where user-controlled keys are not validated, allowing authenticated users with Author-level access to modify post metadata for arbitrary posts. Combined with missing input sanitization, this enables Stored XSS that executes when higher-privileged users (Administrators) view the affected post's 'Competitor' tab in the GetGenie sidebar.

MitigationUpdate GetGenie plugin to the latest version once available, or remove/disable the plugin until a patch is released. If the plugin must remain in use, implement strict capability checks and input sanitization on the action function as a temporary defensive measure.

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
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

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

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. Verify GetGenie plugin is installed
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for a folder named 'getgenie' or query the wp_options table for 'active_plugins' to see if GetGenie is listed as an active plugin.
    Affected if GetGenie plugin folder exists in wp-content/plugins/ and the plugin is active in WordPress.
  2. Determine installed GetGenie version
    Open the main plugin file (usually getgenie.php) in wp-content/plugins/getgenie/ and locate the 'Version' header in the plugin comment block, or query the wp_options table for the option_name containing 'getgenie_version'.
    Affected if The version number found is 4.3.2 or lower (e.g., 4.3.0, 4.2.x, etc.).
  3. Confirm the vulnerable action function exists
    Inspect the main plugin file in wp-content/plugins/getgenie/ and search for a function named 'action' or any handler that processes user-controlled keys without validation, particularly related to post metadata operations.
    Affected if The plugin code contains an 'action' function or similar handler that processes request parameters as metadata keys without validating ownership or sanitizing input.
  4. Check for Author-level user accounts
    Review WordPress user roles in the wp_users and wp_usermeta tables, or navigate to Users > All Users in the WordPress admin dashboard to identify any accounts assigned the Author role.
    Affected if At least one user account with the Author role exists in the WordPress installation.
  5. Verify the Competitor feature is in use
    Check if any posts have GetGenie-generated content by looking for post meta fields related to GetGenie (search wp_postmeta for keys containing 'getgenie' or 'competitor'), or inspect the GetGenie sidebar settings in the WordPress admin for the Competitor tab.
    Affected if Posts contain GetGenie metadata or the Competitor feature has been configured, allowing the stored XSS to execute when Administrators view the affected posts.

Your environment is affected if the GetGenie plugin is active at version 4.3.2 or lower, contains the vulnerable action function handling metadata, and there are Author-level users or posts using the Competitor feature.

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

Update GetGenie plugin to the latest version once available, or remove/disable the plugin until a patch is released. If the plugin must remain in use, implement strict capability checks and input sanitization on the action function as a temporary defensive measure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

4.3.3 or later

  1. Update the GetGenie plugin to the latest available version from the WordPress plugin repository

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2026-2257 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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