Security Optimizer < 1.6.9 - 2FA Bypass via Missing Rate Limiting
The Security Optimizer WordPress plugin before 1.6.9 is affected, and the bug requires the attacker to already know a user's password. Fixed in 1.6.9.
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Not listed in CISA KEV
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Unclear
- Fix
- Fixed in 1.6.9
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
The Security Optimizer WordPress plugin is affected, allowing an attacker who already has a user's password to guess the two-factor authentication code repeatedly and gain full control of that account.
Summarized by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5. Verify details against the original sources.
Read the original description
The Security Optimizer WordPress plugin before 1.6.9 does not limit the number of two-factor authentication codes that can be submitted for a pending login, allowing an attacker who already knows a user's password to brute force the second factor and take over the account.
Timeline
- CVE published
- First seen by cve.now
Affected versions
- Unknown Security Optimizer
fixed in 1.6.9
References 1
Questions about CVE-2026-118185
What does this mean?
The plugin does not limit repeated guesses at the second authentication factor for a pending login. An attacker who already knows a user's password can brute force that second factor and take over the account.Source: wpscan.com
Am I affected, and how do I check?
Security Optimizer WordPress plugin versions before 1.6.9 are affected. The installed version can be checked on the WordPress Plugins screen.Source: wpscan.com
What should I do about it?
Update Security Optimizer to version 1.6.9 or later. The facts list no workaround for versions before the fix.Source: wpscan.com
Is it being exploited?
It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cve.now feed data