Groundhogg <= 4.9 - Authenticated (Custom+) Privilege Escalation to 'user' Parameter
The Groundhogg — CRM, Newsletters, and Marketing Automation plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.9 This is due to a missing ownership and capability check on the user parameter within the process_edit() function, which allows any authenticated user with the edit_contacts capability to reassign a contact record's linked WordPress user ID to any arbitrary account without requiring the edit_users or promote_users capabilities. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with sales_rep-level access and above, to escalate their privileges to administrator by linking a contact to an administrator's WordPress user ID, then creating a note containing the {auto_login_link} replacement tag to trigger generation of a valid auto-login permissions-key URL for the administrator-linked contact, and finally visiting that URL to authenticate as the targeted administrator. The auto-login URL is stored in the note content and is readable back by the attacker via the view_notes and add_notes capabilities that the sales_rep role holds by default.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress plugin | Groundhogg — CRM, Newsletters, and Marketing Automation | <= 4.9 | 4.9.1 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-269- Platform
- WordPress
- Package
Groundhogg — CRM, Newsletters, and Marketing Automation- Disclosed
- 09.10.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
Wordfence Intelligence - 715b4d10-b19a-4b37-8a76-985c37975c93 - Wordfence Intelligence
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Vulnerability history: Groundhogg — CRM, Newsletters, and Marketing Automation
All published vulnerabilities of this package (WordPress plugin), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 41
- First → latest
- 04.2019 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 15
- Medium 26
Disclosures per year
- 2019: 3
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 10
- 2024: 2
- 2025: 8
- 2026: 18
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Groundhogg <= 4.9 - Authenticated (Custom+) Privilege Escalation to 'user' Parameter this entry
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