Reported vulnerability
JSON API Auth <= 3.1.2 - Unauthenticated Authentication Bypass via Cached 'generate_auth_cookie' Response
Published 1 Oct 2026
Updated 2 Oct 2026
CVE-2026-97637
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Wordfence advisory
critical · CVSS 9.8The JSON API Auth plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via Cached Session Cookie Disclosure in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.2. The vulnerability exists because the required PI-Media/json-api parent plugin caches controller dispatch results in transients keyed solely by URI and query string, ignoring HTTP method and POST body; this causes the `generate_auth_cookie()` endpoint — which embeds a live WordPress `logged_in` cookie produced by `wp_generate_auth_cookie()` directly in its JSON response body — to serve that cached authenticated response to any subsequent unauthenticated GET request to the same URI. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to retrieve a valid Administrator `logged_in` session cookie from the cached response and use it to fully authenticate as the site Administrator, including via the same plugin's `get_currentuserinfo` endpoint and any cookie-authenticated controller action. Exploitation requires the PI-Media/json-api parent plugin to be installed and active with the Auth controller enabled, and a legitimate Administrator must have POSTed to `/api/auth/generate_auth_cookie/` within the preceding 24-hour cache TTL; the nominal HTTPS enforcement gate present in `Auth.php` is trivially bypassed by supplying `insecure=cool` as a request parameter.
Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
JSON API Auth
- Software
- plugin · json-api-auth
- Affected versions
- Start version unspecified, through 3.1.2
- Fix availability
- Fix available
- Fixed versions
- 3.1.3
Recommended action
Update to version 3.1.3, or a newer patched version
Further references (1)
Data sources and licences
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Read licence termsSource: Wordfence
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Get help with this issueQuestions about this vulnerability
Which versions of JSON API Auth are affected?
Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 3.1.2. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.
Is a fix available for JSON API Auth?
Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in JSON API Auth. It lists these fixed versions: 3.1.3. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.
Where can I find my installed plugin version?
In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.
Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?
An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.