Reported vulnerability
PilotPress <= 2.0.43 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover via 'username' Parameter
Published 15 Oct 2026
Updated 15 Oct 2026
CVE-2026-85659
Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.
Does this affect my version?
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Wordfence advisory
high · CVSS 8.8The 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.
Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
PilotPress
- Software
- plugin · pilotpress
- Affected versions
- Start version unspecified, through 2.0.43
- Fix availability
- Fix available
- Fixed versions
- 2.0.44
Recommended action
Update to version 2.0.44, or a newer patched version
Further references (1)
Data sources and licences
Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc.
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Read licence termsCopyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation
CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.
Read licence termsSource: Wordfence
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Get help with this issueQuestions about this vulnerability
Which versions of PilotPress are affected?
Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.0.43. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.
Is a fix available for PilotPress?
Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in PilotPress. It lists these fixed versions: 2.0.44. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.
Where can I find my installed plugin version?
In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.
Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?
An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.
Other reports for the same product
These reports cover at least one of the same plugins, themes or WordPress core. Check each report’s affected versions separately.