The AIOS WordPress security plugin, used on over a million sites, was discovered to be logging plaintext passwords from user login attempts, raising concerns over account security. Developed by Updraft, AIOS offers a range of security tools for WordPress sites, but a user reported the issue three weeks ago, pointing out that the plugin recorded login attempts along with inputted passwords to the site’s database.
Despite a slow response from Updraft, a fix has now been released with version 5.2.0, preventing the saving of plaintext passwords and clearing out old entries. However, with over 750,000 sites yet to update, the risk of exposure and potential account takeovers remains significant.
When a user reported that AIOS v5.1.9 was logging plaintext passwords in addition to login attempts, concerns arose about possible violations of security compliance standards such as NIST 800-63 3, ISO 27000, and GDPR.
Updraft’s initial response dismissing the issue as a “known bug” with vague promises of a future fix drew criticism. Although development builds were eventually offered to concerned users, issues persisted, leaving password logs untouched.
AIOS v5.2.0, released on July 11, finally addressed the flaw, preventing plaintext passwords from being saved and removing old entries. Updraft warned that malicious site administrators could exploit exposed passwords on other services where users might have reused the same credentials, potentially leading to account takeovers.
The slow adoption of the update, with only one-fourth of users having applied it, leaves over 750,000 sites vulnerable to breaches, and there is a possibility that some may have already been compromised.
It is unfortunate that Updraft did not promptly warn users about the risk of exposure during the three-week exposure period, leaving sites and their users unprotected. Websites using AIOS are strongly advised to update to the latest version immediately and prompt users to reset their passwords to mitigate the potential consequences of this security flaw.
