CVE-2025-2276: WordPress Ultimate Dashboard Auth Bypass

CVE-2025-2276 Overview

CVE-2025-2276 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Ultimate Dashboard – Custom WordPress Dashboard plugin for WordPress. The flaw resides in the handle_module_actions function, which lacks a capability check. Authenticated users with Subscriber-level access or higher can activate or deactivate plugin modules without authorization. All plugin versions up to and including 3.8.7 are affected. The issue is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.

Critical Impact
Low-privileged authenticated users can toggle plugin modules on affected WordPress sites, altering dashboard functionality and site behavior without administrator consent.

Affected Products

Ultimate Dashboard – Custom WordPress Dashboard plugin, all versions through 3.8.7
WordPress sites where the plugin is installed and active
WordPress installations allowing Subscriber-level or higher registration

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-26 - CVE-2025-2276 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2276

Vulnerability Analysis

The Ultimate Dashboard plugin exposes a module management action handler that permits any authenticated user to invoke module state changes. The handle_module_actions function processes activation and deactivation requests without verifying whether the caller holds administrative capabilities. Because WordPress Subscriber accounts are commonly created through open registration, the attack surface extends to any site that permits public account creation.

Exploitation requires only valid session credentials and network access to the WordPress admin-ajax or module action endpoint. The impact is limited to integrity of plugin configuration; the vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data or crash the site.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing current_user_can() capability check inside the handle_module_actions function located in modules/feature/class-feature-module.php. WordPress plugins must gate privileged actions behind capability checks such as manage_options. Without this gate, the action handler treats any authenticated request as authorized. The nonce check alone is insufficient because Subscriber accounts can obtain valid nonces from pages they legitimately access.

Attack Vector

An attacker registers or compromises a Subscriber-level account on the target WordPress site. The attacker then issues a crafted request to the plugin's module action endpoint with parameters that activate or deactivate specific modules. Because the handler skips the capability check, the request executes with the plugin's full privilege. Repeated requests can toggle any exposed module state, degrading site functionality or enabling features an administrator intended to disable.

See the WordPress Plugin Feature Module source and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2276

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to Ultimate Dashboard module activation state in WordPress options or plugin configuration tables.
HTTP POST requests to admin-ajax.php or plugin action endpoints referencing feature module actions from users lacking the manage_options capability.
New WordPress user registrations at Subscriber level shortly followed by requests to plugin module endpoints.

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for authenticated requests to admin-ajax.php invoking Ultimate Dashboard actions from non-administrator sessions.
Audit the WordPress wp_options table for unexpected changes to Ultimate Dashboard module state entries.
Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to record capability-sensitive actions and correlate them against user roles.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor for spikes in Subscriber account registrations combined with plugin action requests.
Alert on any modification of plugin configuration by user roles below Administrator.
Track HTTP requests containing Ultimate Dashboard action parameters and validate against expected administrative sessions.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2276

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Ultimate Dashboard plugin to a version later than 3.8.7 as soon as the vendor releases a patched release.
Disable open WordPress user registration if Subscriber accounts are not required.
Audit existing Subscriber-level accounts and remove any that are unrecognized or unused.
Review Ultimate Dashboard module configuration and restore the intended state after inspection.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for the latest patched version guidance. Administrators should install the fixed release through the WordPress plugin manager and validate the version reflects the update.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Ultimate Dashboard plugin until a patched version is installed if it is not business-critical.
Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php at the web application firewall layer for non-administrator sessions where feasible.
Enforce strong authentication and CAPTCHA on the WordPress registration form to reduce automated account creation.

bash

# Configuration example: disable open registration in wp-config.php or via wp-cli
wp option update users_can_register 0
wp option update default_role subscriber