# Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme <= 2.17.22 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Theme License Deactivation

- **ID:** WPSEC-2026-0646
- **Plugin:** Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme (`auxin-elements`), https://wordpress.org/plugins/auxin-elements/
- **Affected versions:** from 2.4.9 before 2.17.24
- **Fixed in:** 2.17.24 (Update to 2.17.24 or later.)
- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N)
- **Weakness:** CWE-862
- **Usage among sites WPSec scans:** plugin Medium, affected versions Medium (as of 2026-10-08)
- **Attack surface analysis:** https://attacksurface.wpsec.com/plugin/auxin-elements
- **Fix released:** 2026-10-07
- **Published:** 2026-10-08
- **URL:** https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-0646/

## Description

The Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the auxin_check_license_terms function in versions 2.4.9 up to, and including, 2.17.22. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to delete the stored Phlox Pro license data, which deactivates the theme license and its premium updates and demo imports until an administrator re-activates it.

## References

- https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-0646/
- https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/auxin-elements/tags/2.17.24/
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/auxin-elements/

Source: WPSec, https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-0646/

License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Free to use, share and adapt, also commercially, if you credit WPSec and link to this advisory.