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CVE-2026-18052 – Authentication Bypass – ManageWP Worker WordPress Plugin (before 4.9.37)

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Summary

CVE-2026-18052 is an improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-287) in the ManageWP Worker WordPress plugin. The signature used to authorize login links is not bound to a specific user account, and the plugin does not prevent replay of previously used login links, allowing an attacker who obtains such a link to impersonate any site user, including administrators. The flaw carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (High).

Technical details

  • Root cause: The login-authorizing signature generated by the Worker plugin is not tied to a specific user account, and used login links are not invalidated after use.
  • Trigger conditions: An attacker needs access to a previously issued (or intercepted) login link/signature for the target site.
  • Attack vector: Network — the attacker replays the captured login link against the site to authenticate.
  • Impact: Full authentication bypass allowing impersonation of any user, including administrators, resulting in complete loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected site.

Affected software

  • ManageWP Worker WordPress plugin: all versions prior to 4.9.37

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 8.1 (High)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: Update the ManageWP Worker plugin to version 4.9.37 or later, which binds login signatures to specific user accounts and prevents replay of used login links.
  • If patching is not immediately possible: Restrict or rotate any distributed ManageWP login/connection links, monitor admin login activity for anomalies, and consider temporarily disabling the Worker plugin’s remote login functionality until patched.

How IONIX identifies potentially affected assets

IONIX matches the following signal against data already collected when it crawled the asset; identifying the technology sends no request beyond that crawl.

  • Raw response body: /wp-content/plugins/worker/

References

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Zero-Days to Shrink MTTR

1

Map your entire attack surface (continously)

IONIX uses multi-factor discovery methods, including DNS analysis, certificate mapping, metadata inspection, and more, to automatically map every internet-facing asset across your environment. This includes cloud instances, third-party platforms, shadow IT, and even forgotten infrastructure that traditional tools miss.

2

Monitor for new CVEs

Dozens of threat intel feeds using agentic technology are continuously analyzed to detect the appearance of proof-of-concept code, exploit kits, and indicators of active targeting. IONIX goes further by applying AI to proactively evaluate whether emerging vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited, even before PoCs go public.

3

Identify Potential External Exposures

Not all CVEs matter. IONIX filters vulnerabilities by asking attacker-centric questions: Can it be reached from the internet? Does it require authentication? Is it being exploited in the wild? This dramatically reduces noise and focuses teams on threats that can actually be weaponized.

4

Create Safe, Scalable Exploit Validations

IONIX transforms real-world PoCs into safe, non-intrusive test payloads that can be run in production environments without disruption. These simulations are precisely targeted to the systems that are vulnerable, ensuring rapid validation without unnecessary load.

5

Execute Exploit Validations

By combining context about software stack, versioning, exposure status, and reachability, IONIX ensures that only the right payloads are executed against the right assets, maximizing efficiency and minimizing risk.

6

Drive Fast and Actionable Remediation

Results are routed through integrations with ticketing, SOAR, and SIEM tools. Issues are written in plain language, bundled into remediation clusters, and prioritized based on asset criticality, exploitability, and blast radius. This shortens mean time to remediation (MTTR) and empowers teams to act with confidence.

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  • Confirmation of verified exploitable assets
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