CVE-2026-8181 Burst Statistics 3.4.0 - 3.4.1.1 - Authentication Bypass to Admin Account Takeover
Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication and take over administrator accounts in the Burst Statistics WordPress plugin by exploiting incorrect password validation logic.
- 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-2026-8181?
CVE-2026-8181 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in burstbv Burst Statistics – Privacy-Friendly WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative), published on 14 May 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Burst Statistics – Privacy-Friendly WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in versions 3.4.0 to 3.4.1.1. This is due to incorrect return-value handling in the `is_mainwp_authenticated()` function when validating application passwords from the Authorization header. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers, with knowledge of an administrator username, to impersonate that administrator for the duration of the request by supplying any random Basic Authentication password achieving privilege escalation.
Weakness: CWE-287
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-8181?
How do I fix CVE-2026-8181?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-8181 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-2026-8181 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-8181 exists.
Public exploit code: 1 Nuclei template and 12 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-qv3x-rrx4-9pmh.