Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-4004 affects the WordPress Task Manager plugin up to version 3.0.2. A logged-in low-privilege user may cause the site to run unintended WordPress shortcodes through an AJAX search function. Business impact depends on which shortcodes are installed and what they can access or change.
Executive priority
Treat as a near-term WordPress hardening item, not an emergency based on current evidence. Prioritize sites with user registration, many low-privilege accounts, or sensitive shortcode-enabled functionality.
Technical view
The reported flaw is missing capability checks and insufficient validation in callback_search(). User-controlled fields such as task_id, point_id, categories_id, or term can pass shortcode syntax through sanitization and be concatenated into do_shortcode(). The CVE text describes Subscriber-level authentication, though the provided CVSS vector lists PR:N, so privilege requirements should be verified against vendor data.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running the Task Manager plugin version 3.0.2 or earlier, especially sites allowing untrusted Subscriber-level accounts or open registration.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is stated in the provided sources, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires reaching the plugin’s AJAX search path and depends on available shortcodes and their security properties.
Researcher notes
The main evidence comes from the CVE description and WordPress plugin source references. The privilege requirement is inconsistent between narrative and CVSS vector. Validate authentication requirements and affected version boundaries before rating site-specific risk.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the Task Manager plugin and installed version.
- Check Wordfence, WordPress plugin, and vendor guidance for a fixed release or advisory.
- Upgrade the plugin if a fixed version is available from trusted sources.
- If no fix is available, disable the plugin where business impact allows.
- Restrict untrusted user registration and review Subscriber-level accounts.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Task Manager is installed and at version 3.0.2 or earlier.
- Review plugin code paths around callback_search() and do_shortcode() handling.
- Check web and WordPress logs for unusual AJAX search requests from low-privilege users.
- Review installed shortcodes for sensitive data access or state-changing behavior.
- Document whether public registration or untrusted Subscriber accounts exist.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-94: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-4004 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N3.92.5Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e3a902a6-c16f-4e0a-a13a-defb93754c92?source=cveCVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/task-manager/trunk/module/navigation/action/navigation.action.php#L75CVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/task-manager/tags/3.0.2/module/navigation/action/navigation.action.php#L75CVE reference
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.