Unauthenticated administrator impersonation via null authentication result
Published May 14, 2026 · Updated May 14, 2026
Authentication bypass in Burst Statistics 3.4.0 through 3.4.1.1 allows remote attackers to impersonate administrators via HTTP. The is_mainwp_authenticated() method treats any non-WP_Error result from wp_authenticate_application_password() as success, so a null result permits wp_set_current_user() to select the supplied username. Exploitation requires a valid administrator username and delivery of the Authorization header to PHP; the resulting request can create a new administrator account.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in Burst Statistics 3.4.0 through 3.4.1.1 allows remote attackers to impersonate administrators via HTTP. The is_mainwp_authenticated() method treats any non-WP_Error result from wp_authenticate_application_password() as success, so a null result permits wp_set_current_user() to select the supplied username. Exploitation requires a valid administrator username and delivery of the Authorization header to PHP; the resulting request can create a new administrator account.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-8181
- Published
- May 14, 2026
- Updated
- May 14, 2026
- Vendor
- Burst Statistics B.V.
- Product
- Burst Statistics
- Classifications
- CWE-287, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 14, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3.4.0 <=3.4.1.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- whattheslime CVE-2026-8181 exploitfunctional · unverified
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Reported exploitation
- Wordfence blocked attack trafficreported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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