CVE-2026-18961: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m726-5v3m-hhqg
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-18961 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-18961 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-18961
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m726-5v3m-hhqg
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-18961

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-18961, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The Social Login, Passkeys, Magic Link & Email OTP – Passwordless Login by VentraConnect plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via Unverified Provider Email in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.3. This is due to the plugin trusting the unverified email field returned by Spotify's /v1/me endpoint as proof of mailbox ownership — Generic::normalize_common() copies this value into the normalized profile without requiring an email_verified assertion, and User_Links::link_or_login_user() subsequently passes it directly to get_user_by('email', $email) and issues a persistent authentication cookie via wp_set_auth_cookie() without a provider-specific verified-email gate, a local mailbox challenge, or a logged-in approval step. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing WordPress user, including Administrators, by supplying a known target email address through a controlled Spotify OAuth flow, gaining full administrative access to the site.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-18961 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-18961
developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-a... WEB
https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/reference/get-current-users-profile
plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-socia... WEB
https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/class-oauth.php
plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-socia... WEB
https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/class-user-links.php
plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-socia... WEB
https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/providers/class-provider-generic.php
plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-socia... WEB
https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/providers/normalizer.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3642024/v... WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3642024/ventraconnect-social-login
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulner... WEB
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d7c0f21a-b04c-407e-9e8c-f81a146deaa8?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-18961?
CVE-2026-18961 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-18961?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-18961?
CVE-2026-18961 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-18961?
CVE-2026-18961 is classified under 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.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-18961?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-m726-5v3m-hhqg",
  "modified" : "2026-08-12T03:31:18Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-12T03:31:18Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-18961" ],
  "details" : "The Social Login, Passkeys, Magic Link & Email OTP – Passwordless Login by VentraConnect plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via Unverified Provider Email in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.3. This is due to the plugin trusting the unverified email field returned by Spotify's /v1/me endpoint as proof of mailbox ownership — Generic::normalize_common() copies this value into the normalized profile without requiring an email_verified assertion, and User_Links::link_or_login_user() subsequently passes it directly to get_user_by('email', $email) and issues a persistent authentication cookie via wp_set_auth_cookie() without a provider-specific verified-email gate, a local mailbox challenge, or a logged-in approval step. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing WordPress user, including Administrators, by supplying a known target email address through a controlled Spotify OAuth flow, gaining full administrative access to the site.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-18961"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/web-api/reference/get-current-users-profile"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/class-oauth.php"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/class-user-links.php"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/providers/class-provider-generic.php"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ventraconnect-social-login/tags/1.4.3/includes/providers/normalizer.php"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3642024/ventraconnect-social-login"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d7c0f21a-b04c-407e-9e8c-f81a146deaa8?source=cve"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-12T03:16:42Z"
  }
}