Auth bypass in Wpmudev Wpmu Dev Dashboard

CVE-2026-15459

The WPMU DEV Dashboard plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in all versions up to, and including, 5.0.0. On sites not yet connected to the WPMU DEV Hub — the default state after installation — the site API key that keys the WDP-AUTH request signature is empty, making the signature verified by validate_hash() trivially forgeable; version 5.0.0 additionally removed the replay check in validate_nonce(), and the remote handler is bound to the public init hook with no capability check. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to invoke privileged Hub actions — including installing and activating a plugin from an attacker-supplied URL (resulting in remote code execution), deleting plugins and themes, upgrading WordPress core, or logging in as an administrator via SSO. Sites connected to a WPMU DEV account, which have a non-empty 64-character API key, are not affected.

Vulnerability class: Broken Authentication

EPSS: 0.005 (42.5th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.1 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-15459?
CVE-2026-15459 is a high-severity vulnerability in Wpmudev Wpmu Dev Dashboard, classified under Improper Authentication. CVSS score: 8.1/10. Published 2026-08-06.
How severe is CVE-2026-15459?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.1 out of 10.