CVE-2026-97637 WordPress JSON API Auth - Authentication Bypass

WordPress JSON API Auth plugin <= 3.1.2 contains an authentication bypass caused by cached session cookie disclosure in the PI-Media/json-api parent plugin, letting unauthenticated attackers fully authenticate as Administrator, exploit requires active parent plugin with Auth controller and prior admin POST.

CVSS base score 9.8 /10
Critical
CISA KEV
Not listed
Public exploit
None known
Authentication
Not required
EPSS
0.64% chance of exploitation in 30 days
View the NVD record ↗

Details

Type
Authentication Bypass
Impact
Broken Authentication
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Published
2 October 2026
Updated
15 October 2026
Weakness
CWE-287

Vendor fix

Update JSON API Auth plugin to a version later than 3.1.2 or apply patches to the parent plugin to prevent caching of authenticated responses.

Patching closes this CVE. It does not tell you which of your systems run the affected version, or what else is exposed alongside them.

References

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