SAML Single Sign On <= 5.4.4 - Unauthenticated Authentication Bypass via SAMLResponse Parameter

2026-07-23 08:24
Supakiad S. (m3ez)

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.4.5
Affected Version<= 5.4.4
CVSS9.8Critical
CVECVE-2026-15981
View all SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login vulnerabilities

Vulnerability Overview

The SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass in all versions up to, and including, 5.4.4. This is due to the mo_saml_validate_signature() function performing a loose boolean check on the raw tri-state integer returned by PHP's openssl_verify(), causing an error return value of -1 to be evaluated as truthy and therefore treated as a successful signature verification. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing WordPress user, including administrators, by submitting a crafted SAMLResponse containing an attacker-controlled NameID and a deliberately malformed signature value that triggers an OpenSSL processing error — bypassing verification entirely and resulting in wp_set_auth_cookie() being called for the targeted account.

Technical Analysis

REMEDIATION: Update to version 5.4.5, or a newer patched version --- IDENTIFIER: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.

External References

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C