CVE-2026-16149
Authenticated subscribers can create/reset admin accounts via Security Hardener REST permission bug
Is CVE-2026-16149 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-16149 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.43% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-16149?
CVE-2026-16149 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-16149?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-16149. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-16149 affect?
CVE-2026-16149 affects Security Hardener WordPress plugin <=2.4.4, WordPress sites with plugin installed. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-16149?
Update plugin to fixed version or remove it; audit and rotate admin credentials
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Authenticated (Subscriber+) can create Administrator accounts and reset admin passwords via /wp/v2/users, enabling full site takeover.
Immediate action required
- affected<= 2.4.4
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.