# CVE-2009-2762: Auth bypass in n/a

> Remote attackers can force a password reset for the first database user, potentially the administrator, by exploiting an array handling flaw in the password reset process.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Aug 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2009-2762, GHSA-fxw5-28xr-82fm

## What is CVE-2009-2762?

CVE-2009-2762 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Wordpress Wordpress, published on 13 Aug 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

wp-login.php in WordPress 2.8.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to force a password reset for the first user in the database, possibly the administrator, via a key[] array variable in a resetpass (aka rp) action, which bypasses a check that assumes that $key is not an array.

Weakness: CWE-255

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-2762?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wordpress Wordpress.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-2762?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2009-2762 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-2762 exists.

Public exploit code:

- WordPress Core 2.6.1 - SQL Column Truncation (exploitdb)
- WordPress Core 2.6.1 - Admin Takeover (SQL Column Truncation) (exploitdb)
- WordPress Core 2.8.3 - Remote Admin Reset Password (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Wordpress Wordpress

- [CVE-2026-63030](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63030/): WordPress Core Interpretation Conflict (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-87902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-87902/): WordPress Core Remote File Inclusion (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-60137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-60137/): WordPress Core SQL Injection (medium 5.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-2399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2399/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-2400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2400/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-2762 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-2762 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Wordpress Wordpress, published on 13 Aug 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-2762 exists.

Affected product: Wordpress Wordpress. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2762/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2762/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-2762
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-2762
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-2762

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2762/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.