# CVE-2026-80099: Auth bypass in WP Module Data

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication in Newfold WordPress plugins to gain administrator access and take over the site.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 9 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x9jw-34gv-v4x8

## What is CVE-2026-80099?

CVE-2026-80099 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Newfold WP Module Data, published on 9 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Several Newfold plugins are vulnerable to Authentication Bypass. The vulnerability exists because the plugins bundle the wp-module-data module. In the module, the `authenticate()` method — registered on the `rest_authentication_errors` filter and therefore evaluated for every unauthenticated REST API request — performs an HMAC-style Bearer token comparison that degenerates when `HiiveConnection::get_auth_token()` returns `false`: PHP coerces `strrev(false)` to `strrev('')`, collapsing the secret salt to the publicly known constant `hash('sha256', '') = e3b0c44...`, while all remaining hash inputs (HTTP method, request URL, raw request body, and the `X-Timestamp` header) remain fully attacker-controlled. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to compute a valid Bearer token entirely offline, pass the token equality check, and have `wp_set_current_user()` invoked against the first administrator returned by `get_users(['role' => 'administrator'])`, granting full administrator-level access and enabling arbitrary REST API operations such as creating new administrator accounts and achieving complete site takeover. Vulnerable versions are WP Plugin Crazy Domains (<= 2.5.2), WP Plugin Web (<= 2.3.4), WP Plugin Hostgator (<= 3.1.0), WP Plugin Bluehost (<= 4.17.1). The affected module is vulnerable in versions up to, and including, 2.9.4.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-80099?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-80099?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-80099 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-80099 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-80099 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Newfold plugins (wp-module-data <= 2.9.7) Unauthenticated (github_poc): https://github.com/Wayang1337/CVE-2026-80099
- Newfold WordPress Plugins - Unauthenticated Admin Bypass via Empty HMAC Secret (nuclei): http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-80099.yaml

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-80099 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-80099 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Newfold WP Module Data, published on 9 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-80099 exists.

Affected product: Newfold WP Module Data. 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-2026-80099/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80099/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-80099
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80099
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-80099

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80099/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.