Cybersecurity professionals consider CVE-2026-8994 an immediate threat requiring urgent mitigation.
Status: Received on 27 May 2026, 07:16 UTC
Published on: 27 May 2026, 07:16 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
security@wordfence.com
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVE-2026-8994: The Login with NEAR plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in all versions up to, and including, 0.3.3. The `ajaxLoginWithNear()` function — registered as a `wp_ajax_nopriv` action and therefore reachable by unauthenticated users — accepts an attacker-supplied `account` POST parameter and issues a valid WordPress authentication cookie based solely on a substring check for `.near`, with no nonce verification, cryptographic signature validation, challenge-response exchange, or any proof that the requester controls the corresponding NEAR wallet. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing WordPress user, including administrators, whose email address matches the deterministic `<account>@near.org` pattern derived from the supplied `account` value. If no matching user exists, the handler automatically creates and authenticates a new WordPress account for the attacker-controlled identifier, providing a further avenue for unauthorized account creation.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-8994 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2026-8994 presents a challenge to exploit due to its high attack complexity, but the absence of privilege requirements still makes it a viable target for skilled attackers. A thorough security review is advised.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-8994, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-8994, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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