CVE-2026-15341
Received Received - Intake

Authentication Bypass in User Session Synchronizer WordPress Plugin

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-15341, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-15

Assigner: Wordfence

Description

The User Session Synchronizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass leading to Account Takeover in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.0. The `synchronize_session()` function, hooked on `init` and therefore executed on every request, performs no nonce, capability, or shared-secret validation against the attacker-supplied `ussync-key`, `ussync-token`, and `ussync-ref` parameters; when `ussync-key` references an unregistered slot, `get_option()` returns `false` for both the secret key and the domain list, causing the AES-256-CBC encryption key to degrade to the fully predictable `md5('')` and the referer allowlist to collapse to an empty-string match, while the AES IV is unconditionally hard-coded as `md5('another-secret')`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to supply a crafted request encrypting any known or guessable user email address in the `ussync-ref` parameter, causing the handler to call `wp_set_auth_cookie()` for the matched user and granting full authentication as that user β€” including administrators β€” with no prior knowledge of site secrets.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-15
Generated
2026-08-15
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
wordfence user_session_synchronizer to 1.4.0 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-287 When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an Authentication Bypass in the User Session Synchronizer WordPress plugin up to version 1.4.0. It allows unauthenticated attackers to take over any user account, including administrators, by exploiting hardcoded encryption keys and lack of validation in session synchronization parameters.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain full control of your WordPress site, steal sensitive data, modify content, or install malicious software. Since it affects all users including admins, the entire site is at risk of complete compromise.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to personal data, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and access control. Non-compliance may result in legal penalties and reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update the User Session Synchronizer plugin to the latest version beyond 1.4.0. If an update is not available, disable or remove the plugin entirely. Review server logs for suspicious requests containing ussync-key, ussync-token, or ussync-ref parameters.

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