# CVE-2026-118193: GiveWP <= 4.19.1 - Authenticated (Custom+) Privilege Escalation to 'donor_default_user_role' Parameter

Status: published. Published: 2026-11-05. Updated: 2026-11-05.

The GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.19.1 via the `donor_default_user_role` parameter. This is due to the `sanitize_option_donor_default_user_role()` function applying only a narrow literal check against the string `'administrator'` rather than enforcing the plugin's own `give_get_donor_safe_user_roles()` allowlist on save, and due to the `give_core_settings_import_callback()` AJAX handler writing imported JSON directly into the `give_settings` option via `update_option()` without invoking the sanitize filter at all. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with the GiveWP Manager role (holding the `manage_give_settings` capability) and above to configure donor registration to assign privileged WordPress roles — up to and including Administrator via the import path — to every new donor account created through the platform. Via the settings save path, the Administrator role is blocked but any other elevated role (Editor, Author, etc.) is accepted; via the Tools › Import JSON path, the sanitize filter is bypassed entirely, allowing the Administrator role itself to be stored and subsequently applied to all newly registered donor accounts.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- stellarwp / GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform: ≥ 0; ≤ 4.19.1 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: Wordfence

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 8.8 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: Wordfence

- CVSS 3.1: 8.8 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: security@wordfence.com

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: Not available

- SSVC: Not available

- Weaknesses: CWE-269

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f2ab1544-2428-4c93-b973-8280ff7a2903?source=cve (CNA: Wordfence)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/includes/admin/settings/class-settings-advanced.php#L436 (CNA: Wordfence)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/includes/admin/admin-actions.php#L971 (CNA: Wordfence)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/includes/process-donation.php#L1200 (CNA: Wordfence)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/src/Donors/Actions/CreateUserFromDonor.php#L23 (CNA: Wordfence)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3782355/give/trunk/includes/admin/settings/class-settings-advanced.php (CNA: Wordfence)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/includes/admin/admin-actions.php#L971 (security@wordfence.com)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/includes/admin/settings/class-settings-advanced.php#L436 (security@wordfence.com)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/includes/process-donation.php#L1200 (security@wordfence.com)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/give/tags/4.19.0/src/Donors/Actions/CreateUserFromDonor.php#L23 (security@wordfence.com)

- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3782355/give/trunk/includes/admin/settings/class-settings-advanced.php (security@wordfence.com)

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f2ab1544-2428-4c93-b973-8280ff7a2903?source=cve (security@wordfence.com)

## Provenance

- CNA: Wordfence: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-118193; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-118193; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

Revision: 0d584840ab31552d30cd9e8669725180ba869835a7a09c0cb1a33ef41a391e4d

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-118193

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