miniOrange OTP Login, Verification and SMS Notifications - Security Vulnerability (CVE-2026-85984)
CVE-2026-85984
The miniOrange OTP Login, Verification and SMS Notifications plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via the mo_wp_login_intent parameter in all versions up to, and including, 5.5.5. This is due to a missing password-intent guard in the skip_pass_fallback-enabled configuration branch of the mo_by_pass_login() function, which treats administrator role membership alone as sufficient authentication whenever the unauthenticated, unverified POST parameter mo_wp_login_intent is submitted with the value otp, causing mo_get_user() to skip wp_authenticate_username_password() and resolve a WP_User purely from a username lookup. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing administrator account by supplying only a known username and an empty password alongside mo_wp_login_intent=otp, with no password or OTP verification required. Exploitation is conditional on a site administrator having simultaneously enabled the following plugin options: WP Login OTP, Login with Only OTP, Allow Users to Login with Username and Password, and Admin OTP Bypass.
CVE-2026-85984
CRITICAL
CVSS 9.8
Published 2026-09-26
Updated 2026-09-28
AI Risk Critical (100/100)
Active Exploit: No strong signal
Published Exploit: No public exploit references
Priority: P1 Immediate
Severity Band
CRITICAL
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Components
2
Reference Links
4
AI Risk Engine
Critical (100/100)
Exploitability
Very High
Active Exploitation
No strong signal
Published Exploit Status
No public exploit references
AI Context
Machine-generated threat intelligence
AI
Updated 11 days ago
AI enriched 11 days ago (2026-09-29 02:28 UTC)
Technical Summary
The miniOrange OTP Login, Verification and SMS Notifications plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via the mo_wp_login_intent parameter in all versions up to, and including, 5.5.5. This is due to a missing password-intent guard in the skip_pass_fallback-enabled configuration branch of the mo_by_pass_login() function, which treats administrator role membership alone as sufficient authentication whenever the unauthenticated, unverified POST parameter mo_wp_login_intent is submitted with the value otp, causing mo_get_user() to skip wp_authenticate_username_password() and resolve a WP_User purely from a username…
Potential Impact
Severity is CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8). 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
AI risk score 100/100 (Critical, Very High) with priority P1 Immediate. Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.
