CVE-2026-15992 — The WP Password Policy plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all…¶
Key facts
CVE-2026-15992 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: The WP Password Policy plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab.
| CVE | CVE-2026-15992 |
| Severity | High (8.8) |
| Detection / prevention | — |
| PoC | poc.py |
| Source | 2026/CVE-2026-15992/ |
Details¶
English | 한국어
Description¶
The WP Password Policy plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to and including 3.7.1. This is due to missing authorization checks and nonce verification in the get_user() function of the Module_Password_Hint class, which unconditionally calls WP_User::set_role() with the attacker-supplied role parameter on any account resolved via $_POST['user_login'], without confirming the requesting user holds the capability to assign roles. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to escalate their own privileges to Administrator by submitting a crafted POST request — with action set to createuser and role set to administrator — to the password-reset form endpoint. The vulnerable code path is reachable via the password_hint filter hooked during the WordPress password-reset form render, meaning an attacker need only possess a valid password-reset cookie to reach the sink.
Vulnerability Details¶
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| CVE ID | CVE-2026-15992 |
| CVSS Score | 8.8 |
Proof of Concept¶
Download¶
# Download PoC script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fankh/vulnerability-poc/main/2026/CVE-2026-15992/poc.py
Usage¶
# Run PoC against target
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL>
# With authentication
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL> --username <USER> --password <PASS>
⚠️ Warning: This PoC is for authorized security testing only. It uses detection-only techniques and does not exploit or damage target systems.
Test Lab¶
This repository includes a Docker-based test environment with both vulnerable and patched applications.
Quick Start¶
# Clone and navigate to CVE directory
cd CVE-2026-15992
# Start both applications
docker-compose up -d
# Run tests
./run-tests.sh # Linux/Mac
./run-tests.ps1 # Windows PowerShell
Application Endpoints¶
| Application | URL | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerable App | http://localhost:8080 | Shows vulnerability |
| Patched App | http://localhost:8081 | Demonstrates fix |
Directory Structure¶
├── README.md # English documentation
├── README_KO.md # Korean documentation
├── poc.py # PoC detection script
├── docker-compose.yml # Container orchestration
├── run-tests.sh # Linux/Mac test runner
├── run-tests.ps1 # Windows test runner
├── vulnerable-app/ # Vulnerable version
│ ├── app.py
│ ├── Dockerfile
│ └── requirements.txt
└── patched-app/ # Fixed version
├── app.py
├── Dockerfile
└── requirements.txt
References¶
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/password-requirements/tags/3.7.1/src/modules/password-hint/class-module-password-hint.php#L39
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/password-requirements/tags/3.7.1/src/modules/password-hint/class-module-password-hint.php#L54
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/4ad5ca1c-b8c3-42c0-8170-821ada826cbb?source=cve
Generated by PoC Generator on 2026-08-03T11:56:10.76468655
Frequently asked questions¶
What is CVE-2026-15992?¶
CVE-2026-15992 is a High (8.8) vulnerability: The WP Password Policy plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all…. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab.
How do I detect CVE-2026-15992?¶
Run the detection-only PoC included with this entry against your Docker test lab to confirm whether a target is affected; pair it with your own IDS logging.
How do I block or mitigate CVE-2026-15992?¶
Upgrade to a fixed version per the vendor advisory; the NVD record lists the affected versions. Use the included PoC to verify your remediation.
For authorized security testing and research only. See the full source and NVD record.