SignUp & SignIn: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password
CVE-2026-12417 is a critical-severity weak password recovery mechanism for forgotten password vulnerability in SignUp & SignIn from Pravel, 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 SignUp & SignIn versions: 1.0.0 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 0.82% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 58% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of SignUp & SignIn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pravel | SignUp & SignIn | 1.0.0 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 SignUp & SignIn plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via Weak Password Reset Validation leading to Account Takeover in versions up to, and including, 1.0.0. This is due to the `pravel_change_password()` AJAX handler — registered via `wp_ajax_nopriv_pravel_change_password` and therefore accessible to unauthenticated users — performing no nonce verification, no capability check, and only a loose equality check between an attacker-supplied `reset_activation_code` POST parameter and the target user's `forgot_email` user meta value; when a user has never initiated a password reset, `get_user_meta()` returns an empty string that trivially satisfies this check against an omitted or empty attacker-supplied code. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to change the password of any WordPress user, including administrators, by sending a crafted POST request to `admin-ajax.php` with `action=pravel_change_password`, `reset_user_id` set to the target account's user ID, and `new_password_custom` set to an attacker-chosen password. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to authenticate with the newly set password and fully take over the targeted account, achieving administrator-level privilege escalation on the affected site.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password
The product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Make sure that all input supplied by the user to the password recovery mechanism is thoroughly filtered and validated.
- Do not use standard weak security questions and use several security questions.
- Make sure that there is throttling on the number of incorrect answers to a security question. Disable the password recovery functionality after a certain (small) number of incorrect guesses.
More Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password vulnerabilities (CWE-640)
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/signup-signin/tags/1.0.0/lib/function.php#L222
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/signup-signin/tags/1.0.0/lib/function.php#L229
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/signup-signin/tags/1.0.0/lib/function.php#L38
- wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/c0a617fc-da3d-4828-b027-44093dd11769?source=cve
Recent Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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