# CVE-2026-5488: Missing authorization in ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin)

> Authenticated subscribers can retrieve Google Ads access tokens and reset integration settings due to missing capability checks in AJAX handlers.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-36m8-qf73-626j

## What is CVE-2026-5488?

CVE-2026-5488 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in smub ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin), published on 24 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Missing Authorization in versions up to and including 9.1.2. This is due to missing capability checks in the get_ads_access_token() and reset_experience() AJAX handlers. While the mi-admin-nonce is localized on all admin pages (including profile.php which subscribers can access), and while other similar AJAX endpoints in the same class properly check for the exactmetrics_save_settings capability, these two endpoints only verify the nonce. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to retrieve valid Google Ads access tokens and reset Google Ads integration settings.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5488?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-5488?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5488 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-5488 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5488 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-5488 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-5488 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in smub ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin), published on 24 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5488 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: smub ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin). No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5488/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5488/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5488
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5488
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-5488

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5488/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.