Security Resilience

CVE-2023-2027

Auth Bypass in Zm Ajax Login \& Register Project Zm Ajax Login \& Register ≤ 2.0.2

Published
15 April 2023
Modified
08 April 2026
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0098 61th percentile
Risk Priority 73 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-2027 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in Zm Ajax Login \& Register Project Zm Ajax Login \& Register. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 39% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The ZM Ajax Login & Register plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 2.0.2. This is due to insufficient verification on the user being supplied during a Facebook login through the plugin. This…

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makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing user on the site, such as an administrator, if they have access to the username.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001 Data Obfuscation Command And Control
Adversaries may obfuscate command and control traffic to make it more difficult to detect.
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.
T1018 Remote System Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of other systems by IP address, hostname, or other logical identifier on a network that may be used for Lateral Movement from the current system.
T1027.006 HTML Smuggling Stealth
Adversaries may smuggle data and files past content filters by hiding malicious payloads inside of seemingly benign HTML files.
T1027.009 Embedded Payloads Stealth
Adversaries may embed payloads within other files to conceal malicious content from defenses.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-5432Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2026-55666Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2025-67507Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2023-2437Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2024-28200Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2024-6397Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2026-5557Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2026-50191Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2023-2499Shared CWE-287, CWE-288
CVE-2023-31152Shared CWE-287, CWE-288

Affected Assets

zm ajax login \& register project
zm ajax login \& register
≤ 2.0.2

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 7 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.4.3
  • V6.6.1
  • V12.1.3

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-287 CWE-288

Detects unauthorized successful logons resulting from improper authentication implementations.

addresses: CWE-287 CWE-288

Requires adaptive authentication under specific conditions, directly strengthening authentication mechanisms against improper or insufficient authentication.

addresses: CWE-287 CWE-288

Identity providers centralize and enforce authentication mechanisms, reducing improper authentication.

addresses: CWE-287 CWE-288

Mandates unique identification and authentication of non-organizational users, directly mitigating improper authentication.

addresses: CWE-288

Authorizing remote access reduces the ability to bypass authentication via unauthorized alternate remote channels.

addresses: CWE-287

Documented procedures ensure personnel are trained on authentication mechanisms, tangibly lowering the risk of improper authentication being exploited.

addresses: CWE-287

Security awareness training instructs users on secure authentication practices and avoiding credential compromise.

addresses: CWE-287

Training on authentication mechanisms and best practices decreases the occurrence of improper authentication.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-03 partial match
blocks

Requiring authentication on every channel and path directly eliminates alternate-path bypasses.

PR.AA-05 partial match
blocks

Enforcing authorizations and least privilege across all access vectors prevents unauthenticated alternate paths.

PR.IR-01 partial match
blocks

Protecting networks and environments from unauthorized logical access blocks bypass via undocumented channels.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

removes
blocks

A.5.15 only requires defining a topic-specific access control policy and determining requirements; it does not itself enforce, implement or configure any access rules that would stop an alternate unauthenticated path from being exploitable.

removes
blocks

Access rights provisioning and review prevent bypass via unmonitored or alternate channels.

removes

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248598 There must be no ".shosts" files on the OL 8 operating system. blocks CWE-288
  • V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288
Oracle Linux 9 (2 rules)
  • V-271757 OL 9 file systems must not contain shosts.equiv files. blocks CWE-288
  • V-271758 OL 9 file systems must not contain .shosts files. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 7 (3 rules)
  • V-204440 Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems version 7.2 or newer using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-288
  • V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288
  • V-204424 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not allow accounts configured with blank or null passwords. blocks CWE-288

References