What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-2144?

CVE-2026-2144 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.1%.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-2144?

Within 24 hours: Audit all WordPress installations to identify if the Magic Login Mail or QR Code plugin is installed and active; immediately disable the plugin if found. Within 7 days: Evaluate alternative authentication methods (such as native WordPress two-factor authentication or replacement plugins with security audits), test in staging environment, and implement replacement solution. Within 30 days: Complete migration away from the vulnerable plugin, verify all user authentication logs for suspicious activity during the vulnerability window, and document security incident response findings.

WordPress CVE-2026-2144

HIGH

Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269)

2026-02-14 security@wordfence.com

WordPress Authentication Bypass Privilege Escalation

8.1

CVSS 3.1 · NVD

View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

Access

Trigger magic login request for admin account
Delivery

Race condition window opens during wp_mail()
Exploit

Download predictable QR_Code.png from uploads directory
Execution

Extract login token from QR code
Impact

Authenticate as administrator

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness	CWE CWE-269 OWASP Top 10:2025 A06:2025 - Insecure Design ASVS 5.0 V8 - Authorization Least privilege enforcement MITRE ATT&CK 1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. Sign in to read
Exploitation Conditions	Magic Login Mail or QR Code plugin versions up to 2.05 installed and activated. Plugin must be actively processing login requests that generate QR codes. Attacker must guess precise timing of wp_mail() execution to download QR_Code.png before deletion. WordPress uploads directory must be web-accessible with no additional access controls.
Impact	CVSS 8.1 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: High. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. Exploitation no authentication required.
Exploit ScenarioDerived	An attacker without authentication could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).

No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

Privilege escalation in the Magic Login Mail or QR Code WordPress plugin (versions up to 2.05) allows unauthenticated attackers to hijack any user account, including administrator accounts, by exploiting a race condition in QR code file handling. The plugin creates QR code login images with predictable filenames in the public uploads directory and fails to delete them immediately after email transmission, enabling attackers to intercept the encoded login URLs. An attacker can trigger login requests for arbitrary users and extract valid authentication tokens during the window before file cleanup occurs.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)

v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 22:03 CVSS 8.1

Magic Login Mail or QR Code (WordPress plugin) versions up to 2.05. is affected by improper privilege management (CVSS 8.1).

RemediationAI

Monitor vendor advisories for a patch. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affected ProductsAI

Vendor: WordPress. Product: Magic Login Mail or QR Code (WordPress plugin). Versions: up to 2.05..

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

This vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affects Magic Login Mail or QR Code (WordPress plugin). The Magic Login Mail or QR Code plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.05. This is due to the plugin storing the magic login QR code image with a predictable, static filename (QR_Code.png) in the publicly accessible WordPress uploads directory during the email sending process. The file is only deleted after wp_mail() completes, creating an exploitable race condition window. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to trigger

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Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 8.1 HIGH

AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

High

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

DescriptionCVE.org

The Magic Login Mail or QR Code plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.05. This is due to the plugin storing the magic login QR code image with a predictable, static filename (QR_Code.png) in the publicly accessible WordPress uploads directory during the email sending process. The file is only deleted after wp_mail() completes, creating an exploitable race condition window. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to trigger a login link request for any user, including administrators, and then exploit the race condition between QR code file creation and deletion to obtain the login URL encoded in the QR code, thereby gaining unauthorized access to the targeted user's account.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

The Magic Login Mail or QR Code WordPress plugin contains a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication through a race condition exploiting predictable QR code file names. Organizations using this plugin face immediate risk of unauthorized account access and potential data breach if the plugin is actively used for authentication.

Business Impact: High

Compensating Controls

Disable the Magic Login Mail or QR Code plugin immediately to eliminate attack surface. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block requests to /wp-content/uploads/ containing QR_Code.png filenames. Restrict wp-content/uploads directory permissions to 644 (read-only for web server). Enable file integrity monitoring on the uploads directory. Consider network segmentation limiting authentication endpoint access. Monitor user login patterns for anomalous privilege escalations. Implement CAPTCHA or rate-limiting on login forms to hinder automated exploitation attempts.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score

0.1%

Top 79% exploitable

Data Quality

3 sources

Confidence: Low

NVD

CVE.org

EPSS

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.

SignalValue

Severity HIGH

CISA KEV No

Public POC No

EPSS 0.1%

Patch available No

Active threat No

Deciding rule

HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)

What every action level means

Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.

Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived

Scheduled

Exploitation· derived

None

System Exposure· derived

Open

Automatable· derived

Human Impact

High

Priority Score

Low Medium High Critical

KEV: 0

EPSS: 0

CVSS: +40

PoC: 0

Weaponized: 0

Threat intel: 0

Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication Bypass CRITICAL

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Privilege Escalation HIGH

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.