Bypassing a 403 Forbidden on a NASA admin panel to expose a hidden WordPress login. When a target blocks you at the front door, use their own redirect logic to walk in through the back. Bug: Hidden Login & 403 Bypass via auth_redirect (CVE-2023-5089) The Flaw: Security plugins designed to hide WordPress login pages (like Defender Security < 4.1.0) fail to properly enforce access restrictions when handling native auth_redirect requests. The Exploit: By forcing a redirect to the protected NASA endpoint using unauthenticated parameters (e.g., ?gf_page=randomstring), you hit the initial 403 block. From there, manipulating the URL path with ?redirect_to= and &reauth=1 completely drops the 403 restriction and exposes the hidden admin panel. Methodology Tip: When a WAF or plugin drops a 403 on an authentication endpoint, don't walk away. Hunt for unauthenticated features that force an internal redirection to that protected resource. If you can control the redirection state, you can often break the access control logic. Read exactly how this was chained on the live NASA target in the replies 👇 #BugBounty #AppSec #WordPress #CyberSecurity #BugBountyReports #BugBountyTips #InfoSec
Post summary
The text discloses CVE-2023-5089, a hidden login and 403 bypass flaw in WordPress security plugins (e.g., Defender Security <4.1.0) exploitable via auth_redirect manipulation, providing technical details but no mention of patches, PoC, or active exploitation.
