CVE-2024-10961
Published: 23 November 2024
Summary
CVE-2024-10961 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in Wordpress (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 14.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
The Social Login plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions through 5.9.0. The flaw stems from insufficient verification of the user identity returned by a social login token, allowing an attacker to supply an arbitrary email address that matches an existing WordPress account.
Unauthenticated attackers who can supply a valid email address for a target user can exploit the issue to obtain a session as that user, including administrator accounts, provided the target has not already linked an account with the corresponding social service. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8.
A fix is available in the plugin repository via changeset 3201046; site administrators are advised to update the oa-social-login plugin to a version newer than 5.9.0. The Wordfence advisory associated with the CVE also recommends immediate patching for any site using the affected component.
EPSS probability for the CVE rose from a low baseline to a peak of 0.1416 on 2025-12-11 before receding to the current value of 0.0261, indicating a measurable increase in exploitation interest after public disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-33555
Vulnerability details
The Social Login plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions up to, and including, 5.9.0. This is due to insufficient verification on the user being returned by the social login token. This makes it possible for…
more
unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing user on the site, such as an administrator, if they have access to the email and the user does not have an already-existing account for the service returning the token.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Authorizing remote access reduces the ability to bypass authentication via unauthorized alternate remote channels.
Users can identify logons via alternate paths or channels by reviewing the previous logon time.
Adaptive requirements can apply across access paths, reducing the ability to bypass authentication via alternate channels or paths.
Centralized IdPs close alternate authentication paths that enable bypass.
Enforces authentication for non-organizational users, making it harder to bypass via alternate paths or channels.
Requires authentication to occur exclusively over the isolated trusted path, directly preventing bypass via alternate or untrusted channels.