CVE-2026-16594: WP Directory Kit authorization bypass in AJAX settings handler

CVE-2026-16594 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.5 · Published 2026-08-08

WP Directory Kit is a WordPress plugin used to create and manage business directories on WordPress sites. The plugin improperly validates user permissions on an AJAX endpoint, allowing any logged-in user—even those with minimal privileges (Subscriber role)—to retrieve sensitive plugin configuration including API keys for services like reCAPTCHA and Google Maps. An attacker with a basic user account could extract these secrets and use them to compromise the directory site or associated services.

Technologies: WP Directory Kit. Vendors: WP Directory Kit.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-16594 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-16594 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-16594?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.5, published 8 August 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
WP Directory Kit before 1.5.5.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-16594?
A patch was published on 2026-08-08. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-16594 attacked?
It is attacked over the network.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-16594?
Check whether you run WP Directory Kit at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

The vulnerability is an authorization bypass caused by missing permission and nonce validation in an authenticated AJAX action handler (wdk_admin_action). An attacker with any authenticated user account (e.g., Subscriber role) can POST to admin-ajax.php with specific parameters to trigger the settings-page rendering without proper authorization checks. The vulnerable code falls through to a display branch that renders plugin settings containing sensitive data (API keys, secrets) in plain HTML. This is exploitable because WordPress authentication alone does not enforce role-based access control; the plugin must explicitly check capabilities. A patch is available in version 1.5.5 and later.

Affected products

  • WP Directory Kit WP Directory Kit before 1.5.5

Timeline

  • 2026-08-03: disclosed
  • 2026-08-08: patched

References

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