CVE-2026-5617 Login as User <= 1.0.3 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via 'oclaup_original_admin' Cookie
Authenticated subscribers can escalate to administrator by manipulating a client-controlled cookie in the Login as User WordPress plugin.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-5617?
CVE-2026-5617 is a high-severity vulnerability in royalnavneet Login as User – Switch User & WooCommerce Login as Customer, published on 15 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Login as User plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.3. This is due to the handle_return_to_admin() function trusting a client-controlled cookie (oclaup_original_admin) to determine which user to authenticate as, without any server-side verification that the cookie value was legitimately set during an admin-initiated user switch. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to escalate their privileges to administrator by setting the oclaup_original_admin cookie to an administrator's user ID and triggering the "Return to Admin" functionality.
Weakness: CWE-639
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5617?
How do I fix CVE-2026-5617?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5617 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-5617 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5617 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-679q-mrgx-wpvr.