Overview
The Dokan Pro plugin, a popular tool for WordPress that enables multi-vendor marketplace functionality, has been identified as having a critical vulnerability labeled as CVE-2025-5931. This vulnerability allows threat actors with vendor-level access and above to escalate their privileges to that of a staff member and subsequently alter arbitrary user passwords including those of administrators. The vulnerability is present in all versions of the plugin up to and including 4.0.5, making those who use these versions susceptible to potential system compromise or data leakage. WordPress being the most popular content management system globally, the potential for damage is vast, particularly for businesses and e-commerce sites that utilize the Dokan Pro plugin.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-5931
Severity: High (8.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Vendor-level access)
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise, data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Dokan Pro Plugin for WordPress | Up to and including 4.0.5
How the Exploit Works
An attacker with vendor-level access to the system can exploit this vulnerability by initiating a staff password reset. The Dokan Pro plugin does not validate a user’s identity before updating their password during this process. This lack of validation allows the attacker to change a staff member’s password and gain their privileges, including the ability to alter user passwords arbitrarily. With this ability, the attacker can change the passwords of administrators, granting them access to those accounts and control over the system.
Conceptual Example Code
Assuming the attacker has vendor-level access, they could exploit this vulnerability with a HTTP POST request like this:
POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dokan_reset_password HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
user_login=staff_member&user_pass=new_passwordHere, `user_login` is the username of the staff member whose privileges the attacker wants to gain, and `user_pass` is the new password set by the attacker.
However, this is a simplified example for illustrative purposes only. In a real-world scenario, exploiting this vulnerability would likely involve additional steps and complexities, such as bypassing CSRF protections and handling session management.
Mitigation and Remediation
Users of the Dokan Pro WordPress plugin are advised to apply the vendor patch immediately to mitigate this vulnerability. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, users are recommended to employ a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as temporary mitigation. Further, as a precaution, users should review their account logs for any unauthorized activity and change all user passwords after applying the patch or other mitigation strategies.
