Overview
The aapanel WP Toolkit plugin for WordPress has been identified as a potential security risk due to a privilege escalation vulnerability. Users of WordPress utilizing versions 1.0 to 1.1 of the aapanel WP Toolkit plugin may be at risk for system compromise and data leakage. This vulnerability, designated CVE-2025-6813, could allow an attacker with Subscriber-level access to bypass all role checks and gain full admin privileges, potentially leading to devastating consequences. It is crucial to understand this vulnerability to protect your systems and data.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-6813
Severity: High (CVSS:8.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Subscriber-level access)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Full system compromise and potential data leakage
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Product | Affected Versions
aapanel WP Toolkit for WordPress | 1.0 to 1.1
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies within the auto_login() function of the aapanel WP Toolkit plugin for WordPress. This function, designed to automate the login process for users, lacks the necessary authorization checks to verify a user’s role. Consequently, this allows an attacker with Subscriber-level access or above to bypass all role checks and gain administrative privileges. This could lead to system compromise and potential data leakage, as the attacker would have full control over the WordPress site and access to sensitive information.
Conceptual Example Code
An attacker might exploit this vulnerability using a HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint, with a request similar to this:
POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=aapanel_auto_login HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"user_id": "malicious_subscriber_id",
"rememberme": "forever"
}In this example, the attacker is attempting to bypass the role checks by using the ‘aapanel_auto_login’ function. By providing a ‘user_id’ of a malicious subscriber and setting ‘rememberme’ to ‘forever’, the attacker could potentially gain persistent admin access to the WordPress site.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the vendor’s patch as soon as possible. In instances where immediate patching is not possible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary solution. These systems can help detect and block malicious activities related to this vulnerability. However, these are only temporary measures, and patching the affected systems should be the ultimate priority.
Regular software updates and patch management are crucial components of a sound cybersecurity strategy. It’s essential to stay informed about the latest vulnerabilities and take immediate action to remediate them to ensure the security of your systems and data.