CVE-2026-8499
Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews <= 1.2.9 - Inccorect Authorization via Type Juggling in 'token' Parameter to Arbitrary Settings Update
The Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass via PHP Type Juggling in versions up to, and including, 1.2.9. This is due to the helpfulcrowd_validate_token() function using a loose comparison operator (!=) instead of a strict comparison (!==) when validating the token parameter, while the corresponding REST route /wp-json/helpfulcrowd/v1/update-settings is registered with a permission_callback of __return_true, making it reachable by unauthenticated users; submitting a JSON boolean true as the token value causes PHP's loose comparison to evaluate as equal to the non-empty base64-encoded secret string, bypassing the check entirely. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke helpfulcrowd_settings_endpoint() and write arbitrary attacker-controlled key-value pairs directly into the helpfulcrowd_options WordPress database option via update_option() without any sanitization or allowlist filtering, enabling full unauthenticated modification of the plugin's stored configuration.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.3
Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews <= 1.2.9 - Inccorect Authorization via Type Juggling in 'token' Parameter to Arbitrary Settings Update
The Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass via PHP Type Juggling in versions up to, and including, 1.2.9. This is due to the helpfulcrowd_validate_token() function using a loose comparison operator (!=) instead of a strict comparison (!==) when validating the token parameter, while the corresponding REST route /wp-json/helpfulcrowd/v1/update-settings is registered with a permission_callback of __return_true, making it reachable by unauthenticated users; submitting a JSON boolean true as the token value causes PHP's loose comparison to evaluate as equal to the non-empty base64-encoded secret string, bypassing the check entirely. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke helpfulcrowd_settings_endpoint() and write arbitrary attacker-controlled key-value pairs directly into the helpfulcrowd_options WordPress database option via update_option() without any sanitization or allowlist filtering, enabling full unauthenticated modification of the plugin's stored configuration.
- Record
CVE-2026-8499- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-843
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-35302
5.3
The Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass via PHP Type Juggling in versions up to, and including, 1.2.9. This is due to the helpfulcrowd_validate_token() function using a loose comparison operator (!=) instead of a strict comparison (!==) when validating the token parameter, while the corresponding REST route /wp-json/helpfulcrowd/v1/update-settings is registered with a permission_callback of __return_true, making it reachable by unauthenticated users; submitting a JSON boolean true as the token value causes PHP's loose comparison to evaluate as equal to the non-empty base64-encoded secret string, bypassing the check entirely. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke helpfulcrowd_settings_endpoint() and write arbitrary attacker-controlled key-value pairs directly into the helpfulcrowd_options WordPress database option via update_option() without any sanitization or allowlist filtering, enabling full unauthenticated modification of the plugin's stored configuration.
- Record
EUVD-2026-35302- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-q2xw-j7qq-rpp9
5.3
The Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass via...
The Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass via PHP Type Juggling in versions up to, and including, 1.2.9. This is due to the helpfulcrowd_validate_token() function using a loose comparison operator (!=) instead of a strict comparison (!==) when validating the token parameter, while the corresponding REST route /wp-json/helpfulcrowd/v1/update-settings is registered with a permission_callback of __return_true, making it reachable by unauthenticated users; submitting a JSON boolean true as the token value causes PHP's loose comparison to evaluate as equal to the non-empty base64-encoded secret string, bypassing the check entirely. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke helpfulcrowd_settings_endpoint() and write arbitrary attacker-controlled key-value pairs directly into the helpfulcrowd_options WordPress database option via update_option() without any sanitization or allowlist filtering, enabling full unauthenticated modification of the plugin's stored configuration.
- Record
GHSA-q2xw-j7qq-rpp9- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-843
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.3
The Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authorization Bypass via PHP Type Juggling in versions up to, and including, 1.2.9. This is due to the helpfulcrowd_validate_token() function using a loose comparison operator (!=) instead of a strict comparison (!==) when validating the token parameter, while the corresponding REST route /wp-json/helpfulcrowd/v1/update-settings is registered with a permission_callback of __return_true, making it reachable by unauthenticated users; submitting a JSON boolean true as the token value causes PHP's loose comparison to evaluate as equal to the non-empty base64-encoded secret string, bypassing the check entirely. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke helpfulcrowd_settings_endpoint() and write arbitrary attacker-controlled key-value pairs directly into the helpfulcrowd_options WordPress database option via update_option() without any sanitization or allowlist filtering, enabling full unauthenticated modification of the plugin's stored configuration.
- Record
CVE-2026-8499- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-843
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-8499 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Helpfulcrowd Product Reviews, published June 9, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.27%, the 19th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/26f34aa0-8584-4156-b084-d34a0ab0a997?source=cve
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/helpfulcrowd-product-reviews/tags/1.2.9/includes/HelpfulcrowdCustomEndpoints.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/helpfulcrowd-product-reviews/tags/1.2.9/includes/core.php
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8499
github.com/advisories/GHSA-q2xw-j7qq-rpp9