CVE-2026-42674
Description
An authentication bypass vulnerability in Advanced Access Manager versions up to 7.1.0 allows attackers to circumvent access restrictions via URL encoding.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
An authentication bypass vulnerability in Advanced Access Manager versions up to 7.1.0 allows attackers to circumvent access restrictions via URL encoding.
Vulnerability
The Advanced Access Manager (AAM) plugin for WordPress is susceptible to an authentication bypass vulnerability due to improper handling of URL encoding [2]. This flaw exists within the plugin's access control logic, which fails to correctly validate or sanitize inputs, allowing unauthorized access to restricted resources. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin from n/a through 7.1.0 [2].
Exploitation
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specific requests that utilize URL encoding to bypass the plugin's security checks [2]. The attack does not require high-level privileges or complex interaction, as the flaw resides in how the plugin processes incoming requests to enforce access governance policies. By manipulating the request path or parameters, an attacker can circumvent the intended restrictions imposed by the plugin.
Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass security restrictions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to restricted content, administrative areas, or sensitive API endpoints [2]. This compromise of access controls can lead to unauthorized actions, privilege escalation, or the exposure of protected information, depending on the specific configuration of the site.
Mitigation
Users are advised to update the Advanced Access Manager plugin to version 7.1.2 or later to resolve this vulnerability [1]. If an immediate update is not possible, site administrators should consult with their hosting provider or a web developer to implement temporary security measures [2].
AI Insight generated on Jun 1, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected products
1- Range: <=7.1.0
Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
Vulnerability mechanics
Root cause
"The plugin incorrectly handled URLs containing encoded characters, leading to a bypass of access control restrictions."
Attack vector
An attacker can bypass intended access restrictions by crafting requests that utilize URL-encoded characters. This manipulation allows the attacker to circumvent the plugin's access governance logic, which fails to properly normalize or interpret the encoded input. This vulnerability affects versions up to 7.1.0 [ref_id=1].
Affected code
The advisory does not specify the exact file paths or function names affected by this vulnerability, only noting that it was addressed in the 7.1.1 release [ref_id=1].
What the fix does
The vulnerability was addressed in version 7.1.1 by correcting how the plugin handles URLs containing encoded characters [ref_id=1]. By ensuring that encoded inputs are properly decoded or normalized before being processed by the access control engine, the plugin prevents attackers from masking restricted paths. Users are advised to update to version 7.1.1 or later to mitigate this issue.
Preconditions
- configThe Advanced Access Manager plugin must be installed and active in a version up to 7.1.0.
Generated on Jun 1, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.
References
1News mentions
0No linked articles in our index yet.