CVE-2026-12949 CRITICAL

CVE-2026-12949: Wishlist Member X <= 3.34.1 - Unauthenticated Account Takeover via 'mergewith' Parameter

Vendor Wishlist Member
Product Wishlist Member
Weakness CWE-640 · Weak password recovery
Published August 14, 2026
Last update August 14, 2026

CVSS base score

9.8/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required None
User interaction None
Confidentiality High
Integrity High

CVSS vector

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

What the vulnerability does

01Description

The Wishlist Member plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Account Takeover via Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity in versions up to and including 3.34.1. This is due to the wpm_register() function validating the registration cookie only against the GET reg parameter while accepting the POST mergewith and POST wpm_id parameters without verifying that the mergewith user ID references a temporary or incomplete registrant that is bound to the current registration transaction. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to take over any existing WordPress account — including administrator accounts — by supplying an arbitrary user's numeric ID as the mergewith value, which causes wp_update_user() to overwrite the target account's username (additionally written via a direct $wpdb UPDATE), password, email address, first name, and last name with attacker-controlled values, while WordPress password and email change notification emails are explicitly suppressed. When wpm_id references a non-existent membership level, no role key is added to the update payload, causing wp_update_user() to preserve the target user's existing role — including administrator — making full privilege escalation a direct consequence of the takeover.

Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms

02Summary

Wishlist Member versions up to 3.34.1 use a weak password recovery mechanism that allows attackers to reset user passwords without authentication. An attacker can exploit this to gain unauthorized access to member accounts, including administrator accounts. No user interaction or special privileges are required to perform the attack.

What an attacker can do

03Attacker Capabilities

Reset any user's password and take over their account without knowing the current password.

Potential impact on your site

04Site Impact

Attackers can take over any member account, including admin accounts, compromising site security and member data.

Conditions required to exploit

05Prerequisites

Network access to the site; no authentication or user interaction required.

Key dates

06Disclosure timeline

August 14, 2026 CVE published

Related vulnerabilities

08Related CVE