CVE-2025-2933
📋 TL;DR
The Email Notifications for Updates WordPress plugin has a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access or higher to modify WordPress site options. This can be exploited to change the default user registration role to Administrator and enable user registration, granting attackers full administrative control. All WordPress sites using this plugin version 1.1.6 or earlier are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Email Notifications for Updates plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain full administrative control of the WordPress site, allowing them to install backdoors, steal data, deface the site, or use it for further attacks.
Likely Case
Attackers create administrator accounts for themselves, then use those accounts to compromise the site, install malware, or exfiltrate sensitive data.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, the attack would be detected during the privilege escalation attempt, limiting damage to unauthorized configuration changes.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once an attacker has any WordPress user account. The vulnerability is well-documented in security advisories.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.1.7 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Email Notifications for Updates'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or delete and reinstall the latest version. 5. Verify the plugin version is 1.1.7 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the Email Notifications for Updates plugin until it can be updated
wp plugin deactivate wp-update-mail-notification
Restrict user registration
allDisable user registration in WordPress settings to prevent attackers from creating new accounts
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the plugin entirely if updating is not possible
- Implement strict access controls and monitor for unauthorized configuration changes to user roles and registration settings
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins → Email Notifications for Updates. If version is 1.1.6 or lower, the site is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get wp-update-mail-notification --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify the plugin shows version 1.1.7 or higher in the WordPress plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized modifications to wp_options table
- Changes to default_role or users_can_register settings
- New administrator accounts created unexpectedly
Network Indicators:
- POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=awun_import_settings from non-admin users
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (event="option_update" AND (option_name="default_role" OR option_name="users_can_register")) OR (event="user_registration" AND user_role="administrator")