CVE-2026-61979

SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login <= 5.4.3 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation

2026-08-13 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 5.4.4
Affected Plugin: SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login
Affected Version: <= 5.4.3
CVSS: 9.8Critical
Weakness type: CWE-250 · Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
CVE: CVE-2026-61979

View all SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-61979 is a critical-severity Execution with Unnecessary Privileges vulnerability in the SAML Single Sign On WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.4.3. It carries a CVSS score of 9.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 5.4.4; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2026, reported by sequence_X0.

Vulnerability Overview

The SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 5.4.3. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to elevate their privileges to that of an administrator.

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. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-250: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.

Remediation

Update to version 5.4.4, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. None of that substitutes for the fix: SAML Single Sign On 5.4.4 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-61979 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/cb03eb79-27c9-4a9d-b690-71946e11f39f https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-61979

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login

CVSS Vector

9.8

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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