CVE-2026-14262

Simple JWT Login <= 3.6.6 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Authentication Bypass to Privilege Escalation via 'payload' Parameter

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.6.7
Affected Version
<= 3.6.6
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
CVE
CVE-2026-14262
View all Simple JWT Login – Allows you to use JWT on REST endpoints. vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-14262 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the Simple JWT Login WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.6.6. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 3.6.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2026, reported by Navapon Premkasem (71C4) (71C4).

Vulnerability Overview

The Simple JWT Login – Allows you to use JWT on REST endpoints. plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.6.6 via the `payload` parameter. The vulnerability exists because `AuthenticateService::generatePayload()` only overwrites JWT payload keys whose names appear in the admin-configured `jwt_payload` list — leaving any attacker-supplied identity claims such as `email`, `id`, or `username` intact and signed into the JWT with the site's HS256 secret. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to escalate their privileges to that of an Administrator by injecting a target administrator's email address into the `payload` parameter at the `/wp-json/simple-jwt-login/v1/auth` endpoint, then redeeming the resulting JWT at the `/autologin` endpoint to obtain a fully authenticated session as that 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 interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management

Simple JWT Login <= 3.6.6 carries this weakness at generatePayload(), and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. Improper privilege management means the code lets an account end up with capabilities its role should not have.

It converts a low-privileged account into an administrative one, which makes every other restriction on the site irrelevant. For Simple JWT Login the fix is 3.6.7: builds <= 3.6.6 are affected, anything from 3.6.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.6.7, 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: Simple JWT Login 3.6.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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