CVE-2025-11729: PPWP WordPress Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-11729 Overview

CVE-2025-11729 affects the PPWP: Password Protect Pages, Posts & Full or Partial Content plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability stems from an improper capability check in the can_access function. All versions up to and including 1.9.15 are affected. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or above can retrieve the master password. This access lets them read any password-protected content across the site. The flaw is classified under CWE-285: Improper Authorization.

Critical Impact
Authenticated Contributor-level users can retrieve the plugin master password and bypass content protection on all password-protected posts and pages.

Affected Products

PPWP: Password Protect Pages, Posts & Full or Partial Content plugin for WordPress
All plugin versions up to and including 1.9.15
WordPress sites permitting Contributor-level user registration or access

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-19 - CVE-2025-11729 published to NVD
2026-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-11729

Vulnerability Analysis

The PPWP plugin exposes functionality that gates access to password-protected content through a capability check in the can_access function. The check does not correctly enforce the authorization required to view or retrieve master-password data. As a result, users holding low-privileged roles such as Contributor can invoke logic that returns the master password. Once the master password is retrieved, an attacker can access any content the plugin was intended to protect.

This is a Broken Access Control weakness ([CWE-285]). The vulnerability requires authentication but does not require user interaction and is exploitable over the network. The EPSS score is 0.209% with a percentile of 11.35, reflecting a low current exploitation probability.

Root Cause

The can_access function performs an insufficient capability check before returning sensitive data. WordPress role-based access control depends on functions like current_user_can() verifying explicit capabilities. In this plugin, the check either omits the correct capability or accepts any authenticated user context. Contributor-level accounts, which are commonly granted on multi-author WordPress installations, pass the check and receive the master password.

Attack Vector

An attacker first obtains or registers a Contributor-level (or higher) account on a target WordPress site. The attacker then issues an authenticated request to the plugin endpoint that invokes can_access. The response includes the master password protecting site content. The attacker uses that credential to open any password-protected post or page.

No verified proof-of-concept code has been released. See the WordPress Changeset Update and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-11729

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected access to password-protected posts or pages by Contributor-level accounts
WordPress request logs showing calls to PPWP plugin AJAX or REST endpoints from low-privileged users
New or dormant Contributor accounts issuing sudden requests against /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php targeting PPWP actions
Access to protected content without corresponding password prompts in referrer logs

Detection Strategies

Audit the installed PPWP plugin version and flag any host running 1.9.15 or earlier
Review WordPress user role assignments and identify accounts holding Contributor role or higher
Correlate authenticated HTTP requests to PPWP endpoints with the requesting user's WordPress role
Enable WordPress debug logging or a security plugin to record capability check failures and access attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on repeated calls to PPWP plugin endpoints originating from non-administrator accounts
Track viewing patterns for password-protected content to detect bulk access from a single session
Monitor account creation events on public WordPress registration flows and flag rapid role escalation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-11729

Immediate Actions Required

Update the PPWP: Password Protect Pages, Posts & Full or Partial Content plugin to a version later than 1.9.15 that includes the fix from changeset 3486400
Rotate any master passwords configured through the plugin after patching
Audit Contributor-level and higher accounts and remove unused or untrusted users
Disable public user registration if Contributor accounts are not required

Patch Information

The fix is committed in WordPress plugin changeset 3486400. Site administrators should upgrade through the WordPress plugin manager or apply the vendor-supplied update. Confirm the installed version reports higher than 1.9.15 after upgrade.

Workarounds

Deactivate the PPWP plugin until the patched version is installed
Restrict Contributor role assignments and temporarily downgrade suspect accounts to Subscriber
Place the WordPress admin surface behind an IP allowlist or web application firewall rule blocking PPWP AJAX and REST requests from non-administrator sessions

bash

# Verify installed PPWP version via WP-CLI and force an update
wp plugin get password-protect-page --field=version
wp plugin update password-protect-page
wp plugin get password-protect-page --field=version