CVE-2026-109236: Auth Bypass (CVSS 4.8)

Description

The Customer Email Verification for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via a Predictable Email-Verification Token in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.2. This is due to the `authenticate_user_by_email_link()` function — hooked on the `wp` action and triggered by the `cusomer_email_verify` GET parameter — lacking any capability check or nonce verification, while the `secret_code` it validates is generated as `md5(email . time())` and the `verify_otp_nonce` required to trigger token issuance via the `wp_ajax_nopriv_resend_otp` handler is emitted to every front-end visitor through `wp_localize_script`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as a newly created, verified WooCommerce customer bound to an arbitrary email address — or to flip an existing account's `customer_email_verified` meta to verified — fully bypassing the plugin's core email-verification control. Exploitation requires the `cev_user_log` table to contain a `password` column, which is absent from the fresh-install schema shipped in version 2.8.2 but is present on sites upgraded from an older version where that column was defined.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

4.8

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0034

Probability of exploitation

0.28%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-287 Improper Authentication

References

Other References

https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/tags/2.8.2/includes/class-wc-customer-email-verification-signup.php#L119 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/tags/2.8.2/includes/class-wc-customer-email-verification-signup.php#L151 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/tags/2.8.2/includes/class-wc-customer-email-verification-signup.php#L274 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/tags/2.8.2/includes/class-wc-customer-email-verification-signup.php#L580 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/tags/2.8.2/includes/class-wc-customer-email-verification-signup.php#L616 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/tags/2.8.3/includes/class-wc-customer-email-verification-signup.php https://wordpress.org/plugins/customer-email-verification-for-woocommerce/#developers https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a2e9fa74-5501-4429-a500-1d4199571a34?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-109236? +

The Customer Email Verification for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via a Predictable Email-Verification Token in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.2. This is due to the `authenticate_user_by_email_link()` function — hooked on the `wp` action and triggered by the `cusomer_email_verify` GET parameter — lacking any capability check or nonce verification, while the `secret_code` it validates is generated as `md5(email . time())` and the `verify_otp_nonce` required to trigger token issuance via the `wp_ajax_nopriv_resend_otp` handler is emitted to every front-end visitor through `wp_localize_script`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as a newly created, verified WooCommerce customer bound to an arbitrary email address — or to flip an existing account's `customer_email_verified` meta to verified — fully bypassing the plugin's core email-verification control. Exploitation requires the `cev_user_log` table to contain a `password` column, which is absent from the fresh-install schema shipped in version 2.8.2 but is present on sites upgraded from an older version where that column was defined. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-109236? +

CVE-2026-109236 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.8 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0034, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-109236? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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