Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash: Improper Authentication
CVE-2026-119096 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash from Uncannyowl, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash versions: 3.8.2 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.46% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncannyowl | Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash | 3.8.2 and earlier | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (wordfence.com).
Official description
The Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in versions up to, and including, 3.8.2 via the `email` parameter of the `uo_login_action()` function. This is due to a parser-differential flaw in which the plugin's account-verification gate resolves the submitted `email` value using the raw, unsanitized string passed to `get_user_by()`, while the subsequent `wp_signon()` call relies on WordPress core's internal `sanitize_user()` to strip appended junk characters — causing the gate lookup to fail and be skipped entirely while the real account is still resolved and authenticated. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in to unverified or administrator-suspended accounts whose credentials they already possess, obtaining a valid `wordpress_logged_in` session cookie and defeating the plugin's account-approval and account-suspension controls. The nonce required to reach the handler is freely obtainable in the same request from the unauthenticated `ult-refresh-nonce` endpoint, making exploitation trivial for any attacker with network access to the site and knowledge of a target account's credentials.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/uncanny-learndash-toolkit/tags/3.8.2/src/classes/frontend-login-plus.php#L…
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/uncanny-learndash-toolkit/tags/3.8.2/src/classes/frontend-login-plus.php#L…
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/uncanny-learndash-toolkit/tags/3.8.2/src/classes/frontend-login-plus.php#L…
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/uncanny-learndash-toolkit/tags/3.8.2/src/classes/frontend-login-plus.php#L…
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3773997/uncanny-learndash-toolkit/trunk/src/classes/frontend-login-plus…
- wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/592b61a1-9ac9-4817-b154-1e39e50d8010?source=cve
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.4 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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