---
title: "CVE-2026-97637: WordPress JSON API Auth - Authentication Bypass"
description: "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."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-97637/
---

# 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 ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97637)

## 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](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/287.html)

## 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

- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97637](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97637)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L77](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L77)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/json-api-auth.php#L65](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/json-api-auth.php#L65)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3712939%40json-api-auth&new=3712939%40json-api-auth](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3712939%40json-api-auth&new=3712939%40json-api-auth)
- [https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f2fdf8bf-7f53-4579-9a1f-be7b3ef1ca50?source=cve](https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f2fdf8bf-7f53-4579-9a1f-be7b3ef1ca50?source=cve)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L104](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L104)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L28](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L28)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L66](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/json-api-auth/tags/3.1.2/controllers/Auth.php#L66)

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## What this record can't tell you

- Whether you run the affected software, and where
- Whether an attacker can actually reach and exploit it
- The misconfigurations that never get a CVE number
- What it would cost the business, ranked into what to fix first

Panop answers these inside your environment, for this CVE and every other finding.

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