---
id: CVE-2020-37255
title: >-
  WordPress Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16 contains an authentication bypass
  vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative
  access by sending a crafted POST request with the IWP_JSON_PREFIX header
summary: >-
  WordPress Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16 contains an authentication bypass
  vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative
  access by sending a crafted POST request with the IWP_JSON_PREFIX header.
  Attackers can ex…
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'
cwe:
  - CWE-288
published: '2026-06-20'
updated: '2026-09-29'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-29T09:10:00.157'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-37255'
references:
  - url: 'https://wptimecapsule.com/'
    label: disclosure@vulncheck.com
  - url: 'https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47941'
    label: disclosure@vulncheck.com
  - url: >-
      https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/wordpress-time-capsule-plugin-authentication-bypass
    label: disclosure@vulncheck.com
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.00629
epssPercentile: 0.48032
ingestedAt: '2026-09-29T09:30:49.077Z'
---

## Overview

WordPress Time Capsule Plugin 1.21.16 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative access by sending a crafted POST request with the IWP_JSON_PREFIX header. Attackers can exploit this flaw to obtain valid administrator session cookies and access the WordPress dashboard without providing credentials.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.