Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessIdentify site using hCaptcha for WP
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ExploitCraft form request bypassing hCaptcha verification
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ExecutionSubmit without solving challenge
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ImpactAutomate abuse (spam/brute force) against protected forms
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Anti-spoofing controls
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Defense Evasion The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires a WordPress site running the hCaptcha for WP plugin (hcaptcha-for-forms-and-more) at version 5.3.0 or earlier, with hCaptcha protection actually enabled on one or more forms (login, registration, comment, WooCommerce, or contact forms). Exploitation is remote and unauthenticated (PR:N/UI:N) against such a configuration with no additional prerequisites. The practical impact is limited to defeating the anti-bot/captcha gate - it does not by itself compromise data or the site; its severity depends on what the protected forms expose and whether hCaptcha is the only mitigation in place. If the plugin is installed but captcha is not active on any endpoint, there is nothing to bypass. |
| Impact | This is a protection-mechanism bypass (CWE-290, Authentication Bypass by Spoofing) in the hCaptcha for WP plugin, rated CVSS 5.3 by Patchstack. The supplied vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N is internally consistent and credible: network-reachable, low-complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, with a single low-integrity impact (C:N/A:N). The integrity-only, low-magnitude impact is correct because the flaw does not grant data access or code execution - it lets an unauthenticated actor circumvent the hCaptcha challenge that is supposed to gate form submissions, re-enabling the automated abuse (spam, credential stuffing, brute force) the plugin exists to stop. No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, or public POC is present in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation; the real-world urgency is therefore moderate and driven by how the protected forms are used rather than by any direct compromise. This is a genuine but limited issue - not a high-CVSS-low-risk mislabel, but also not a critical priority: its practical severity is amplified only where hCaptcha is the sole defense protecting a sensitive endpoint (e.g. a login form), in which case the bypass removes rate-limiting/anti-bot friction for a secondary attack. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An unauthenticated attacker identifies a WordPress site running hCaptcha for WP (<= 5.3.0) and crafts form-submission requests that satisfy the plugin's verification logic without solving a real hCaptcha challenge, defeating the bot protection. They then script automated submissions against protected login, registration, comment, or contact forms to conduct spam, account enumeration, or credential-stuffing at scale. No public exploit code is identified in the provided data. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 01, 2026
Bypassing the CAPTCHA protection in the hCaptcha for WP plugin (hcaptcha-for-forms-and-more) up to version 5.3.0 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to submit forms without solving the challenge, defeating the anti-bot gate on login, registration, comment, WooCommerce, or contact forms. This authentication bypass by spoofing (CWE-290) is rated CVSS 5.3 and has limited impact, as it does not directly compromise data or the site. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and exploitation requires hCaptcha to be actively enabled on at least one form.
RemediationAI
No specific patched version is identified in the available advisory; administrators should monitor the plugin's WordPress page or the Patchstack advisory for an updated release and apply it promptly. If an update is not yet available, consider temporarily disabling the hCaptcha for WP plugin and relying on alternative anti-spam controls such as Akismet, rate limiting, or moderation queues, though this may increase exposure to automated spam. Alternatively, if the plugin must remain active, ensure that sensitive forms have additional authentication or validation layers, and monitor submission logs for anomalies. Disabling the plugin removes the CAPTCHA challenge entirely, so any compensating measure should be weighed against the site's risk tolerance. Refer to the vendor advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/hcaptcha-for-forms-and-more/vulnerability/wordpress-hcaptcha-for-wp-plugin-5-3-0-bypass-vulnerability-vulnerability?_s_id=cve for updates.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability resides in the hCaptcha for WP plugin (slug hcaptcha-for-forms-and-more), which integrates the hCaptcha service into WordPress forms. The root cause is classified as CWE-290 Authentication Bypass by Spoofing, indicating that the plugin can be tricked into accepting a forged or replayed hCaptcha validation response, thereby bypassing the CAPTCHA challenge. The exact flaw is not detailed in the available Patchstack advisory, but the CPE string cpe:2.3:a:hcaptcha:hcaptcha_for_wp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* confirms that all versions up to and including 5.3.0 are affected. Exploitation is remote and unauthenticated (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N), with low integrity impact, as the attacker can submit forms without solving the CAPTCHA. The plugin must be installed and hCaptcha protection enabled on one or more endpoints for the bypass to be exploitable.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Remote, unauthenticated, no interaction to defeat the captcha gate (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N); impact is a low-integrity protection bypass only, with no confidentiality or availability effect.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Unauthenticated Bypass Vulnerability in hCaptcha for WP <= 5.3.0 versions.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
EUVD-2026-90846
GHSA-v4mg-2fcj-gw6f
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB