CVE-2026-25315

hCaptcha for WP <= 4.22.0 - Missing Authorization

2026-01-26 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 4.23.0
Affected Plugin: hCaptcha for WP
Affected Version: <= 4.22.0
CVSS: 5.3Medium
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2026-25315

View all hCaptcha for WP vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-25315 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the hCaptcha for WP WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.22.0. It carries a CVSS score of 5.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 4.23.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2026, reported by suyoung kim(AhnLab).

Vulnerability Overview

The hCaptcha for WP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on a function in all versions up to, and including, 4.22.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to perform an unauthorized action.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in hCaptcha for WP <= 4.22.0 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For hCaptcha for WP the fix is 4.23.0: builds <= 4.22.0 are affected, anything from 4.23.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.23.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: hCaptcha for WP 4.23.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-25315 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7235f5b9-43a6-4290-a6b6-f93ed8c7fa5d https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25315

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in hCaptcha for WP

6.4CVE-2024-4014: hCaptcha for WordPress <= 4.0.0 Stored XSSCVE-2024-4014

CVSS Vector

5.3

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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