CVE-2026-16055: CWE-287 Improper Authentication in Contest Gallery
The Contest Gallery WordPress plugin before 30.0.7 does not route its front-end login through the standard WordPress authentication flow, issuing an authentication cookie directly after the password check, which bypasses installed brute-force-protection and two-factor-authentication Contest Gallery WordPress plugin before 30.0.7 and enables unlimited, unthrottled password guessing against any account (including administrators) up to full account takeover.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-16055 describes an improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-287) in the Contest Gallery WordPress plugin versions prior to 30.0.7. The plugin does not route front-end logins through the standard WordPress authentication process, instead issuing authentication cookies directly after password checks. This bypass circumvents installed brute-force protection and two-factor authentication mechanisms, enabling unlimited password guessing attempts against any user account, including administrative accounts, which can result in full account compromise.
Potential Impact
Attackers can perform unlimited password guessing attacks without triggering brute-force protections or two-factor authentication, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and full takeover of user accounts, including administrators. This can lead to complete compromise of the affected WordPress site.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, users should consider disabling the Contest Gallery plugin or restricting access to the login functionality. Monitor vendor channels for updates and apply patches promptly once released.
CVE-2026-16055: CWE-287 Improper Authentication in Contest Gallery
Description
The Contest Gallery WordPress plugin before 30.0.7 does not route its front-end login through the standard WordPress authentication flow, issuing an authentication cookie directly after the password check, which bypasses installed brute-force-protection and two-factor-authentication Contest Gallery WordPress plugin before 30.0.7 and enables unlimited, unthrottled password guessing against any account (including administrators) up to full account takeover.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-16055 describes an improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-287) in the Contest Gallery WordPress plugin versions prior to 30.0.7. The plugin does not route front-end logins through the standard WordPress authentication process, instead issuing authentication cookies directly after password checks. This bypass circumvents installed brute-force protection and two-factor authentication mechanisms, enabling unlimited password guessing attempts against any user account, including administrative accounts, which can result in full account compromise.
Potential Impact
Attackers can perform unlimited password guessing attacks without triggering brute-force protections or two-factor authentication, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and full takeover of user accounts, including administrators. This can lead to complete compromise of the affected WordPress site.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, users should consider disabling the Contest Gallery plugin or restricting access to the login functionality. Monitor vendor channels for updates and apply patches promptly once released.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- WPScan
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-17T12:05:43.862Z
- Cvss Version
- null
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a72d7adbf8831d5395e8248
Added to database: 08/05/2026, 06:26:53 UTC
Last enriched: 08/05/2026, 07:16:11 UTC
Last updated: 08/06/2026, 00:41:11 UTC
Views: 5
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