CVE-2025-14123: Redux Framework Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-14123 Overview

CVE-2025-14123 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Redux Framework plugin for WordPress affecting all versions up to and including 4.5.11. The flaw allows authenticated users with Subscriber-level access or higher to assign themselves arbitrary roles, including Administrator, during a profile update. The root cause is that the plugin saves arbitrary meta keys under a registered option name without sufficient capability checks or an allowlist of permitted keys. Exploitation requires that a plugin or theme using Redux Framework has added at least one user profile field via Redux_Users::set_profile, set_section, or set_field. The vulnerability is tracked as [CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management].

Critical Impact
A low-privileged authenticated attacker can escalate to Administrator on affected WordPress sites, resulting in full site takeover.

Affected Products

Redux Framework plugin for WordPress, all versions up to and including 4.5.11
WordPress sites using plugins or themes that register user profile fields through Redux_Users::set_profile
WordPress sites using plugins or themes that register fields through Redux_Users::set_section or set_field

Discovery Timeline

2026-10-09 - CVE-2025-14123 published to NVD
2026-10-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-14123

Vulnerability Analysis

The Redux Framework provides WordPress plugin and theme developers with a configuration framework, including the ability to register custom user profile fields. When a user submits a profile update, the framework persists submitted field values as user meta under a registered option name. The handler iterates submitted keys and writes them to user meta without validating that each key belongs to the developer-registered field set.

Because WordPress stores a user's role assignment in the wp_capabilities user meta key, an attacker can submit a crafted profile update containing wp_capabilities with the value administrator. The framework writes this directly, upgrading the attacker's role on the next permission check. Any authenticated user above Subscriber can trigger the write path.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing capability checks combined with the absence of a key allowlist in the Redux Framework profile save routine. The handler trusts the submitted keys to match the registered profile field schema. WordPress role storage uses standard user meta, so writing wp_capabilities through the same vulnerable path mutates the user's effective role.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires authentication at the Subscriber level. The attacker submits a POST request to the WordPress profile update endpoint, including the registered Redux option name as a container and wp_capabilities as an arbitrary meta key with the value of the desired role. Exploitation depends on a plugin or theme on the target site having invoked Redux_Users::set_profile, set_section, or set_field to add at least one user profile field. See the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14123

Indicators of Compromise

User accounts whose role changed from subscriber to administrator or editor without a corresponding admin-initiated action in the audit log.
POST requests to profile.php or user-edit.php containing a Redux option name parameter with a nested wp_capabilities key.
Unexpected entries in the wp_usermeta table for wp_capabilities tied to recently self-updated accounts.
New plugin installations, theme edits, or administrator accounts created shortly after a Subscriber profile update.

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress sites for the Redux Framework plugin and identify installed themes or plugins that register profile fields through Redux.
Compare current wp_capabilities values against a known baseline and flag divergence for low-privileged accounts.
Alert on web server access logs showing profile update requests whose payload includes the string wp_capabilities.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable a WordPress audit logging plugin and monitor role change events in near real time.
Forward WordPress and web server logs to a central SIEM and correlate profile update activity with subsequent privileged actions.
Review scheduled tasks, mu-plugins, and administrator user lists daily on sites running Redux Framework until patched.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14123

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Redux Framework plugin to the patched release available via the WordPress Redux Framework Update changeset.
Audit all user accounts and reset the role of any non-administrative account that currently holds elevated privileges.
Rotate credentials for administrator accounts and invalidate active sessions on affected sites.
Restrict new user registration to trusted email domains until patching completes.

Patch Information

The Redux Framework maintainers addressed the issue in the changeset referenced above. The fix restricts which meta keys can be written through the Redux profile save routine and enforces capability checks. Update to the fixed version through the WordPress plugin repository, and verify the installed version is greater than 4.5.11 after upgrading.

Workarounds

Disable or uninstall the Redux Framework plugin on sites where upgrading is not immediately possible.
Temporarily disable any theme or plugin that registers Redux user profile fields through Redux_Users::set_profile, set_section, or set_field.
Restrict profile update endpoints at the web server or WAF layer to block requests containing the parameter name wp_capabilities.
Set define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true); in wp-config.php to reduce post-compromise impact if an attacker obtains administrator access.

bash

# Block profile update requests containing wp_capabilities at the web tier
# Example nginx rule
if ($request_method = POST) {
    if ($request_uri ~* "(profile|user-edit)\.php") {
        if ($request_body ~* "wp_capabilities") {
            return 403;
        }
    }
}