CVE-2026-42654: WP Swings Wallet System Authentication Bypass Allows Account Takeover

Technical summary

CVE-2026-42654 is an authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-288) in WP Swings Wallet System for WooCommerce that leverages an alternate authentication path via password recovery functionality. The flaw requires prior authentication (PR:L in CVSS terms) but does not require user interaction. An attacker with a valid account can exploit a weakness in the password recovery logic to reset or compromise credentials belonging to other users, potentially escalating privileges to administrative access. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1 reflects high impact on confidentiality and integrity of user accounts.

Business impact

Account takeover of customers and administrators using this plugin creates direct revenue and operational risk. Compromised admin accounts enable site modification, payment processing fraud, and customer data theft. For e-commerce sites using WooCommerce, this could lead to unauthorized transactions, data breaches affecting customer payment information, and reputational damage. Rapid patching is critical to prevent widespread account compromise in existing deployments.

Affected systems

WP Swings Wallet System for WooCommerce versions up to 2.7.5 are vulnerable. Any WooCommerce installation using this plugin is at risk if not patched. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have at least one legitimate user account, making it exploitable in multi-vendor or public-registration scenarios. Sites with open customer registration are at higher risk of initial account creation for exploitation purposes.

Exploitability

This vulnerability has moderate-to-high exploitability due to low attack complexity and the presence of standard user accounts on most WooCommerce sites. While it requires prior authentication, legitimate user accounts are easily obtained on sites with open registration or guest checkout. The unauthenticated CVSS modifier (PR:L) means any user—including low-privilege customers—can initiate the attack. No additional user interaction is needed to exploit the password recovery bypass.

Remediation

Upgrade WP Swings Wallet System for WooCommerce to a patched version released after 2.7.5. Verify the patch version number against WP Swings official advisories. Organizations should prioritize this update for production WooCommerce stores, especially those accepting customer registrations. If immediate patching is not possible, review access logs for suspicious password recovery activity and monitor for unauthorized account access.

Patch guidance

Check the WP Swings plugin repository or vendor security advisory for the first available patch version after 2.7.5. Follow standard WordPress plugin update procedures: backup your site, disable the plugin if necessary, upload the patched version, and verify functionality on a staging environment before production deployment. Update immediately if auto-updates are enabled; otherwise, initiate manual update within 48 hours given the authentication bypass risk.

Detection guidance

Monitor WooCommerce logs and user activity for multiple password recovery requests targeting different user accounts from the same source IP or user agent. Watch for successful account takeovers followed by admin role changes or suspicious activity. Database audit logs should flag password resets initiated outside normal user workflows. Consider enabling security plugins that track authentication anomalies and failed login patterns.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability merits urgent priority because it enables account takeover and privilege escalation with moderate-to-easy exploitability. The CVSS HIGH severity (7.1) reflects the significant integrity and confidentiality impact. Unlike vulnerabilities requiring user interaction or sophisticated setup, this requires only an existing user account—a low barrier for attackers in public-facing e-commerce environments. The password recovery bypass is a well-established attack vector and should be treated as critical in retail and SaaS deployments.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1 (HIGH) reflects: Network accessibility (AV:N) allowing remote exploitation; Low attack complexity (AC:L) requiring standard user account credentials; Low privilege requirement (PR:L) since any registered user qualifies; No user interaction needed (UI:N); Unchanged scope (S:U); Low confidentiality impact (C:L) from account access; High integrity impact (I:H) from account takeover; No availability impact (A:N). The high integrity score drives the overall severity due to the ability to modify user data and potentially escalate to administrative control.

Frequently asked questions