Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain Subscriber account on target site
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DeliveryOpen own profile edit page
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ExploitSubmit crafted custom-field writing wp_capabilities meta
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ExecutionOverwrite role to administrator
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PersistRe-authenticate as admin
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ImpactFull site takeover
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires two concrete prerequisites: (1) the attacker must hold at least a Subscriber-role account on the target site (PR:L in the CVSS vector confirms low-privilege authentication is required, so open user registration or any existing low-tier account enables this), and (2) the site must have the Redux Framework plugin's Users extension / user-profile custom-fields feature explicitly enabled - sites running the plugin without this feature are not exploitable. The specific mechanism is the unrestricted writing of user meta keys (notably wp_capabilities) via the custom profile-field save handler. Limiting factors: no exploitation against fully default/anonymous configurations (an account is needed), the non-default Users extension must be active, and the plugin version must be before 4.5.13. |
| Impact | The signals are moderately consistent but not alarmist. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 8.8 High) indicates a network-exploitable, low-complexity attack requiring only low privileges (an existing Subscriber account) and no user interaction, with total impact - matching the SSVC Technical Impact rating of 'total'. However, SSVC also rates Exploitation as 'none' (no observed exploitation) and Automatable as 'no', and EPSS is very low at 0.14% (4th percentile), indicating no widespread automated exploitation is currently predicted. The key limiting factors are that the attacker must already hold a Subscriber (or higher) account AND the site must have the plugin's Users extension / user-profile feature explicitly enabled, which is not a universal default. This is a genuine privilege-escalation risk worth prompt patching on affected sites, especially those allowing open user registration, but it is not a mass-exploited internet-wide event - the low EPSS despite a public POC suggests conditional, targeted applicability rather than commodity scanning. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker registers or obtains a Subscriber-level account on a WordPress site running a vulnerable Redux Framework version with the Users extension enabled. They edit their own profile and submit a crafted custom-field value that writes the wp_capabilities user meta key, granting themselves the administrator role, then log back in with full control of the site. A public exploit/advisory from WPScan documents this technique, and the low attack complexity (AC:L) and lack of required user interaction make it straightforward to reproduce. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 22, 2026
Privilege escalation in the Redux Framework WordPress plugin before 4.5.13 allows authenticated Subscriber-level users to become Administrators by writing arbitrary user meta keys through the plugin's custom profile fields, on sites where the Users extension (user-profile feature) is enabled. Because the plugin does not restrict which user meta keys are written when saving custom profile fields, an attacker can inject the wp_capabilities meta to grant themselves the administrator role. Publicly available exploit code exists (published by WPScan), though EPSS remains low at 0.14% and there is no evidence of active exploitation.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade the Redux Framework plugin to version 4.5.13 or later, which restricts writable user meta keys when saving custom profile fields. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls: disable the plugin's Users extension / user-profile feature (this removes the vulnerable code path entirely, at the cost of losing custom profile-field functionality), and tighten user registration by disabling open self-registration (Settings > General > 'Anyone can register') so attackers cannot obtain the Subscriber account required for exploitation. Additionally, audit the wp_usermeta table for unexpected wp_capabilities changes and unexpected administrator accounts. Refer to the WPScan advisory (https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/11d5d4c2-7ba9-4389-9050-28c90920e34b/) and the NVD entry (https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-12525) for details.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Redux Framework is a widely used WordPress options/settings framework bundled by many themes and plugins; the vulnerability lies specifically in its Users extension, which exposes custom fields on the WordPress user-profile edit screen. When a user saves their own profile, the plugin persists these custom fields as user meta via WordPress's update_user_meta mechanism but fails to enforce an allowlist of permitted meta keys. This is CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management): because WordPress stores a user's role and capabilities in the wp_capabilities user meta key (prefixed by the table prefix), an unrestricted meta write lets a low-privileged account overwrite its own role assignment. The CPE (cpe:2.3:a:unknown:redux_framework) reflects the plugin as the affected component, with the vendor field unresolved in NVD data.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-exploitable via profile save (AV:N), no special conditions beyond a low-privilege Subscriber account (PR:L), no interaction (UI:N); admin takeover yields total C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (WPScan).
CVSS VectorVendor: WPScan
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
The Redux Framework WordPress plugin before 4.5.13 does not restrict which user meta keys can be written when saving custom profile fields, allowing users with at least the Subscriber role to escalate their privileges to Administrator by submitting a crafted value while updating their own profile, on sites where the Redux Framework WordPress plugin before 4.5.13's user-profile (Users extension) feature is enabled.
Executive ViewAI
Redux Framework WordPress plugin versions before 4.5.13 contain a critical privilege escalation vulnerability enabling site compromise through administrative account takeover on affected installations. Organizations using this plugin risk complete loss of website control, data breach exposure, and operational disruption if updates are not deployed promptly.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
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EUVD-2026-44875
GHSA-xfrq-p2m8-qpvm
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB