# CVE-2012-10001: Auth bypass in n/a

> The Limit Login Attempts plugin fails to clear authentication cookies during lockouts, potentially aiding brute-force attacks against user accounts.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Jan 2021
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5vrm-6rhq-6qv9

## What is CVE-2012-10001?

CVE-2012-10001 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Jan 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Limit Login Attempts plugin before 1.7.1 for WordPress does not clear auth cookies upon a lockout, which might make it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute-force authentication attempts.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-10001?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Limit Login Attempts Project Limit Login Attempts.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-10001?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-10001 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-10001 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-10001 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2022-0787](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0787/): Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) < 5.1 - Unauthenticated SQLi (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-1912](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1912/): Limit Login Attempts <= 1.7.1 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2021-24657](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24657/): Limit Login Attempts < 4.0.50 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2023-1861](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1861/): Limit Login Attempts < 1.7.2 - Subscriber+ Stored XSS (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-10001 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-10001 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Jan 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-10001 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2012-10001/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-10001/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-10001
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-10001
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-10001

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-10001/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.