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Wp Users Masquerade - Authentication Bypass (CVE-2024-9522)

CVE-2024-9522

Vulnerability CVE-2024-9522 PLUGIN wp-users-masquerade HIGH

The WP Users Masquerade plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 2.0.0. This is due to incorrect authentication and capability checking in the 'ajax_masq_login' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to log in as any existing user on the site, such as an administrator.

CVE-2024-9522

HIGH CVSS 8.8 Published 2024-10-10 Updated 2026-06-17
AI Risk Critical (92/100) Active Exploit: No strong signal Published Exploit: No public exploit references Priority: P1 Immediate
Severity Band HIGH
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Components 1
Reference Links 2
AI Risk Engine Critical (92/100)
Exploitability Very High
Active Exploitation No strong signal
Published Exploit Status No public exploit references

Threat Timeline

  1. 2024-10-10 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
  2. 2026-06-17 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
  3. 2026-04-09 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
  4. Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 217 days ago

AI enriched 217 days ago (2026-04-09 08:42 UTC)

Technical Summary

The WP Users Masquerade plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 2.0.0. This is due to incorrect authentication and capability checking in the 'ajax_masq_login' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to log in as any existing user on the site, such as an administrator.

Potential Impact

Severity is HIGH (CVSS 8.8). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as Very High based on remote code execution potential, low-bar exploit prerequisites.

Primary risk drivers: remote code execution potential, low-bar exploit prerequisites

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

Wp Users Masquerade PLUGIN · wp-users-masquerade Affected: <= 2.0.0 Fixed version not specified

Related Vulnerabilities

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No related vulnerability records were found yet for this context.

References

What to do about this

Patch promptly The consequence is significant even where an attacker needs a foothold first.

Fix it

Update Wp Users Masquerade to the latest available version.

Where the vendor has not published a fix yet, disable the plugin until they do.

Cannot update today? Administrator multi-factor authentication in Hack Halt Pro blocks this class of attack before WordPress processes the request.

Require a second factor for every administrator account. This is the single highest-value control against credential stuffing and reused passwords, because a valid password alone stops being enough.

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Not sure if you are affected?

Scan your site to see whether it runs Wp Users Masquerade, and at which version.

Free, no installation, no account. It reads what your site already publishes, then tells you which plugins carry known vulnerabilities and what to do about each one.

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Am I affected by this vulnerability?

You are affected if your site runs Wp Users Masquerade. Exploiting it requires an administrator account, which limits the practical risk considerably.

How do I fix it?

Update Wp Users Masquerade to the latest available version. Where the vendor has not yet published a fix, remove or disable the plugin until they do. Until you can update, Administrator multi-factor authentication in Hack Halt Pro contains this class of attack at the request layer.

What can an attacker actually do?

This is a Authentication Bypass flaw. An attacker who exploits it can sign in as another user, frequently an administrator, without a password.

WordPress security that blocks attacks before they land.

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