# CVE-2026-8994: Login with NEAR <= 0.3.3 - Authentication Bypass via 'account' Parameter

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication and log in as any user, including administrators, by supplying a crafted account parameter.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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:** 27 May 2026
- **Updated:** 27 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6gff-f85j-33mr

## What is CVE-2026-8994?

CVE-2026-8994 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in learnnearclub Login with NEAR, published on 27 May 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Login with NEAR plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in all versions up to, and including, 0.3.3. The `ajaxLoginWithNear()` function — registered as a `wp_ajax_nopriv` action and therefore reachable by unauthenticated users — accepts an attacker-supplied `account` POST parameter and issues a valid WordPress authentication cookie based solely on a substring check for `.near`, with no nonce verification, cryptographic signature validation, challenge-response exchange, or any proof that the requester controls the corresponding NEAR wallet. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing WordPress user, including administrators, whose email address matches the deterministic `<account>@near.org` pattern derived from the supplied `account` value. If no matching user exists, the handler automatically creates and authenticates a new WordPress account for the attacker-controlled identifier, providing a further avenue for unauthorized account creation.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-8994?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-8994?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-8994 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-8994 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-8994 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-8994 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-8994 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in learnnearclub Login with NEAR, published on 27 May 2026. 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-2026-8994 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: learnnearclub Login with NEAR. 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-2026-8994/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-8994/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-8994
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8994
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-8994

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-8994/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.