Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is riddled with threats, vulnerabilities, and exploits. One such vulnerability that has been recently identified is CVE-2025-5953. This vulnerability exists in the WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress, versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. This plugin is extensively used in the HR sector for managing employee data, hence making it a lucrative target for attackers. The vulnerability in question allows for privilege escalation due to missing authorization controls, potentially leading to a complete system compromise.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-5953
Severity: High (CVSS: 8.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Employee-level access)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
WP Human Resource Management Plugin for WordPress | 2.0.0 – 2.2.17
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability exists due to a lack of proper authorization checks in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_employee() functions of the WP Human Resource Management plugin. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST[‘role’] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to the wp_insert_user() and later to $user->set_role() functions without verifying that the current user is allowed to assign that role. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Employee-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to an administrator level.
Conceptual Example Code
The following pseudocode provides an example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:
POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
action=hrm_ajax_insert_employee&role=administratorIn this example, the attacker is making a POST request to the vulnerable endpoint and changing their role to ‘administrator. Once the request is processed, the attacker would have administrator-level privileges, thereby compromising the security of the entire system.
Recommended Mitigation
As a measure to mitigate this vulnerability, it is highly recommended that users of the affected plugin apply the vendor-released patch immediately. In the absence of a patch, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. It’s also crucial to follow the principle of least privilege (PoLP) when assigning roles to users. Regular updates and rigorous testing of plugins can further strengthen the security of your WordPress site.