CVE-2026-15459 Auth bypass in WPMU DEV Dashboard
Unauthenticated attackers can forge HMAC signatures to install malicious plugins and execute code on WordPress sites using the WPMU DEV Dashboard plugin.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-15459?
CVE-2026-15459 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in wpmudev WPMU DEV Dashboard, published on 6 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
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.
Weakness: CWE-287
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-15459?
How do I fix CVE-2026-15459?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-15459 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and rotate credentials and sessions that may have been exposed. More about Authentication bypass.
Is CVE-2026-15459 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-15459 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-82jx-g559-m3rq.