CVE-2026-11616 Events Calendar for GeoDirectory <= 2.3.28 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation
Authenticated subscribers can escalate privileges to Administrator by manipulating user meta data via an insecure AJAX handler in the Events Calendar for GeoDirectory plugin.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-11616?
CVE-2026-11616 is a high-severity vulnerability in stiofansisland Events Calendar for GeoDirectory, published on 9 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Events Calendar for GeoDirectory plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to and including 2.3.28. This is due to the ajax_ayi_action() handler only applying strip_tags(esc_sql()) — with no allow-list — to the attacker-controlled $_POST['type'] and $_POST['postid'] values before forwarding them to update_ayi_data(), which calls update_user_meta($current_user->ID, $rsvp_args['type'], $posts). By passing type=wp_capabilities and postid=administrator, an attacker writes ['subscriber'=>true,'administrator'=>'administrator'] into their own wp_capabilities user meta; WP_User::get_role_caps() then treats the 'administrator' array key as an active role on the next request. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to Administrator.
Weakness: CWE-269
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-11616?
How do I fix CVE-2026-11616?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-11616 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-11616 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-11616 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-j857-hxgm-cvxf.