CVE-2026-42675: Missing Authorization in Themefic Hydra Booking 1.1.41 – HIGH Severity Vulnerability

Technical summary

CVE-2026-42675 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in Themefic Hydra Booking affecting versions through 1.1.41. The underlying issue stems from improper enforcement of authorization checks on sensitive endpoints or functions. An attacker can send unauthenticated requests over the network to exploit these misconfigured access controls, potentially reading, modifying, or deleting booking records or triggering administrative functions without proper authentication. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 reflects the network-accessible nature combined with impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Business impact

A breach of Hydra Booking's authorization controls could lead to unauthorized access to customer booking data, including personal information and transaction details. Attackers could modify bookings, create fraudulent entries, or disrupt service availability. For businesses using Hydra Booking, this exposes customer trust, creates compliance risk (GDPR, CCPA), and may trigger incident notification obligations. The lack of authentication requirements makes exploitation trivial for any attacker on the network.

Affected systems

Themefic Hydra Booking versions from the earliest tracked version through 1.1.41 are vulnerable. Organizations running any version in this range should assume they are at risk. Verify your current version number in the Hydra Booking plugin or application settings.

Exploitability

This vulnerability has a low attack complexity and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit it by sending crafted requests directly to the application over the network. No special tools, knowledge, or user cooperation is needed, making this highly exploitable. The publicly disclosed CVE and straightforward nature of authorization bypasses means exploit code could be rapidly developed.

Remediation

Update Themefic Hydra Booking to a version beyond 1.1.41. Check the vendor's official advisory or release notes to identify the specific patched version. After upgrading, verify that access controls are properly enforced by testing with unauthenticated requests to sensitive endpoints. Additionally, conduct an access control audit of other admin functions within the plugin to identify similar misconfigurations.

Patch guidance

Verify the latest patched version of Hydra Booking from the Themefic official website or WordPress plugin repository. Apply the update in a staging environment first to confirm compatibility with your booking workflow. Ensure database backups are current before upgrading. Test critical booking operations and user access levels post-patch to confirm controls are now enforced. If a significant version jump is required, review the changelog for breaking changes or API modifications affecting custom integrations.

Detection guidance

Monitor application logs for unauthenticated requests to booking endpoints, particularly POST, PUT, or DELETE operations that should require authentication. Look for anomalous patterns: requests from unexpected IP ranges, successful operations without corresponding authentication events, or bulk data access. If running a Web Application Firewall (WAF), check for rules that validate Authorization headers on all API calls. Conduct a post-remediation audit of booking records for unexpected modifications, creations, or deletions during the vulnerability window.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits immediate patching due to the combination of high CVSS score (7.3), network-accessible attack surface, zero authentication requirements, and direct impact to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Authorization bypasses are often exploited early because they require minimal attacker skill and no user participation. Given the sensitive nature of booking data, this should be treated as a critical priority.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 (HIGH) reflects: Attack Vector = Network (highest risk), Attack Complexity = Low (trivial to exploit), Privileges Required = None (no authentication needed), User Interaction = None (no user action required), and impacts to Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (all present). This combination places it in the HIGH severity range. The lack of any prerequisite steps or authentication barriers justifies prioritization alongside critical vulnerabilities.

Frequently asked questions