GCVE Workshop - 22 September 2026 (14:00-18:00), Luxembourg Before The Vulnopticon Conference - Registration

CVE-2025-5953 (GCVE-0-2025-5953)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-07-04 01:44 – Updated: 2025-07-08 14:21
VLAI
Title
WP Human Resource Management 2.0.0 - 2.2.17 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Employee+) Privilege Escalation via wp_ajax_hrm_insert_employee AJAX Action
Summary
The WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to missing authorization in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_empoyee() functions in versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST['role'] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to wp_insert_user() and later to $user->set_role() 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 administrator.
SSVC
Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: total
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2025-07-08 14:21 UTC
CWE
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
asaquzzaman WP Human Resource Management Affected: 2.0.0 , ≤ 2.2.17 (semver)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-5953",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-07-08T14:21:37.475644Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2025-07-08T14:21:48.349Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "WP Human Resource Management",
          "vendor": "asaquzzaman",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "2.2.17",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "2.0.0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "credits": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "type": "finder",
          "value": "Kenneth Dunn"
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "The WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to missing authorization in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_empoyee() functions in versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST[\u0027role\u0027] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to wp_insert_user() and later to $user-\u003eset_role() 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 administrator."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 8.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-862",
              "description": "CWE-862 Missing Authorization",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2025-07-04T01:44:03.834Z",
        "orgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
        "shortName": "Wordfence"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3ba33a18-429f-4a3e-b018-bdfbbe6e8482?source=cve"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://wordpress.org/plugins/hrm/#developers"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L89"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L543"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L591"
        }
      ],
      "timeline": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "time": "2025-07-03T12:17:43.000Z",
          "value": "Disclosed"
        }
      ],
      "title": "WP Human Resource Management 2.0.0 - 2.2.17 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Employee+) Privilege Escalation via wp_ajax_hrm_insert_employee AJAX Action"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
    "assignerShortName": "Wordfence",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-5953",
    "datePublished": "2025-07-04T01:44:03.834Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-06-09T19:08:46.265Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-07-08T14:21:48.349Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2025-5953",
      "date": "2026-09-18",
      "epss": "0.00387",
      "percentile": "0.32676"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                "product": "WP Human Resource Management",
                "vendor": "asaquzzaman",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "2.2.17",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "2.0.0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "security@wordfence.com"
          }
        ],
        "configurations": [
          {
            "nodes": [
              {
                "cpeMatch": [
                  {
                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:mishubd:wp_human_resource_management:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*",
                    "matchCriteriaId": "01D51D3B-2144-4459-9169-E7D58B2FD6FA",
                    "versionEndIncluding": "2.2.17",
                    "versionStartIncluding": "2.0.0",
                    "vulnerable": true
                  }
                ],
                "negate": false,
                "operator": "OR"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "The WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to missing authorization in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_empoyee() functions in versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST[\u0027role\u0027] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to wp_insert_user() and later to $user-\u003eset_role() 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 administrator."
          },
          {
            "lang": "es",
            "value": "El complemento WP Human Resource Management para WordPress es vulnerable a la escalada de privilegios debido a la falta de autorizaci\u00f3n en las funciones ajax_insert_employee() y update_empoyee() en las versiones 2.0.0 a 2.2.17. El controlador AJAX lee el $_POST[\u0027role\u0027] proporcionado por el cliente y, tras una limpieza b\u00e1sica mediante hrm_clean(), lo pasa directamente a wp_insert_user() y posteriormente a $user-\u0026gt;set_role() sin verificar que el usuario actual tenga permiso para asignar dicho rol. Esto permite que atacantes autenticados, con acceso de empleado o superior, eleven sus privilegios a administrador."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2025-5953",
        "lastModified": "2026-06-17T09:49:05.650",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
                "baseScore": 8.8,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 2.8,
              "impactScore": 5.9,
              "source": "security@wordfence.com",
              "type": "Secondary"
            }
          ],
          "ssvcV203": [
            {
              "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "ssvcData": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-5953",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "technicalImpact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-07-08T14:21:37.475644Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2025-07-04T03:15:21.583",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "security@wordfence.com",
            "tags": [
              "Product"
            ],
            "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L543"
          },
          {
            "source": "security@wordfence.com",
            "tags": [
              "Product"
            ],
            "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L591"
          },
          {
            "source": "security@wordfence.com",
            "tags": [
              "Product"
            ],
            "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L89"
          },
          {
            "source": "security@wordfence.com",
            "tags": [
              "Release Notes"
            ],
            "url": "https://wordpress.org/plugins/hrm/#developers"
          },
          {
            "source": "security@wordfence.com",
            "tags": [
              "Third Party Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3ba33a18-429f-4a3e-b018-bdfbbe6e8482?source=cve"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "security@wordfence.com",
        "vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
        "weaknesses": [
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-862"
              }
            ],
            "source": "security@wordfence.com",
            "type": "Secondary"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "current_release_date": "2026-03-27T08:28:03+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2025-5953",
      "id": "CVE-2025-5953",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "1",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "WP Human Resource Management 2.0.0 - 2.2.17 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Employee+) Privilege Escalation via wp_ajax_hrm_insert_employee AJAX Action",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-5953.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "vulnrichment": {
      "containers": {
        "adp": [
          {
            "metrics": [
              {
                "other": {
                  "content": {
                    "id": "CVE-2025-5953",
                    "options": [
                      {
                        "Exploitation": "none"
                      },
                      {
                        "Automatable": "no"
                      },
                      {
                        "Technical Impact": "total"
                      }
                    ],
                    "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                    "timestamp": "2025-07-08T14:21:37.475644Z",
                    "version": "2.0.3"
                  },
                  "type": "ssvc"
                }
              }
            ],
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2025-07-08T14:21:42.354Z",
              "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
            },
            "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
          }
        ],
        "cna": {
          "affected": [
            {
              "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
              "product": "WP Human Resource Management",
              "vendor": "asaquzzaman",
              "versions": [
                {
                  "lessThanOrEqual": "2.2.17",
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "2.0.0",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "credits": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "finder",
              "value": "Kenneth Dunn"
            }
          ],
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "The WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to missing authorization in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_empoyee() functions in versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST[\u0027role\u0027] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to wp_insert_user() and later to $user-\u003eset_role() 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 administrator."
            }
          ],
          "metrics": [
            {
              "cvssV3_1": {
                "baseScore": 8.8,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
              }
            }
          ],
          "problemTypes": [
            {
              "descriptions": [
                {
                  "cweId": "CWE-862",
                  "description": "CWE-862 Missing Authorization",
                  "lang": "en",
                  "type": "CWE"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "providerMetadata": {
            "dateUpdated": "2025-07-04T01:44:03.834Z",
            "orgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
            "shortName": "Wordfence"
          },
          "references": [
            {
              "url": "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3ba33a18-429f-4a3e-b018-bdfbbe6e8482?source=cve"
            },
            {
              "url": "https://wordpress.org/plugins/hrm/#developers"
            },
            {
              "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L89"
            },
            {
              "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L543"
            },
            {
              "url": "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/hrm/tags/2.2.17/class/employee.php#L591"
            }
          ],
          "timeline": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "time": "2025-07-03T12:17:43.000Z",
              "value": "Disclosed"
            }
          ],
          "title": "WP Human Resource Management 2.0.0 - 2.2.17 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Employee+) Privilege Escalation via wp_ajax_hrm_insert_employee AJAX Action"
        }
      },
      "cveMetadata": {
        "assignerOrgId": "b15e7b5b-3da4-40ae-a43c-f7aa60e62599",
        "assignerShortName": "Wordfence",
        "cveId": "CVE-2025-5953",
        "datePublished": "2025-07-04T01:44:03.834Z",
        "dateReserved": "2025-06-09T19:08:46.265Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2025-07-08T14:21:48.349Z",
        "state": "PUBLISHED"
      },
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.1"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.


Loading…

Loading…

Loading…

Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Loading…

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

Loading…

Loading…

Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.


Loading…