CVE-2025-23974: One-Login Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-23974 Overview

CVE-2025-23974 is an Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability (CWE-266) affecting the One-Login WordPress plugin developed by ifkooo. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform Privilege Escalation attacks, potentially gaining unauthorized elevated access to WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the plugin.

The One-Login plugin is designed to simplify authentication workflows in WordPress environments. However, improper implementation of privilege assignment logic creates a security gap that malicious actors can exploit to escalate their permissions beyond intended access levels.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges within affected WordPress installations, potentially gaining administrative access and full control over the compromised website.

Affected Products

• One-Login WordPress Plugin version 1.4 and earlier
• WordPress sites running vulnerable One-Login plugin versions
• All installations of One-Login from initial release through version 1.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-09 - CVE-2025-23974 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-23974

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from Incorrect Privilege Assignment (CWE-266), a weakness where software incorrectly assigns privileges to an actor, giving that actor unintended access or capabilities. In the context of the One-Login plugin, the authentication or role assignment mechanism fails to properly validate and enforce privilege boundaries.

WordPress plugins that handle user authentication and session management are particularly sensitive to privilege assignment flaws. When these controls are improperly implemented, users can potentially manipulate their assigned roles or bypass authorization checks to gain elevated permissions they should not possess.

The vulnerability affects all versions of One-Login up to and including version 1.4, indicating a fundamental flaw in the plugin's privilege management architecture that has existed since its initial releases.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the plugin's improper implementation of privilege assignment logic. Specifically, the One-Login plugin fails to adequately validate user privileges during authentication or authorization operations. This could manifest as:

• Insufficient validation of user role parameters during login or session creation
• Missing authorization checks when assigning or modifying user capabilities
• Improper trust of client-supplied data when determining user privilege levels
• Failure to enforce the principle of least privilege in role assignment functions

Attack Vector

An attacker targeting this vulnerability would typically need to have some level of initial access to the WordPress site, such as a subscriber or basic user account. From this position, the attacker could manipulate the plugin's privilege assignment mechanism to elevate their access level.

The attack scenario involves exploiting the flawed privilege assignment logic to gain higher-level permissions. This could enable a low-privileged user to escalate to administrator status, allowing them to modify site content, install malicious plugins, access sensitive data, or completely compromise the WordPress installation.

Since no verified code examples are available, the specific exploitation technique involves manipulating requests or parameters processed by the One-Login plugin's authentication handlers. Technical details can be found in the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23974

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected changes to user roles or capabilities in WordPress user tables
• Anomalous authentication events associated with the One-Login plugin
• Database entries showing privilege modifications without corresponding administrative actions
• Newly created administrator accounts or role changes for existing users
• Suspicious activity in WordPress audit logs related to user management

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress user role assignments for unexpected privilege escalations
• Review authentication logs for anomalous patterns involving the One-Login plugin
• Implement file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to plugin files
• Deploy web application firewall rules to detect privilege escalation attempts
• Audit user capability changes and correlate with legitimate administrative activity

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for WordPress authentication events
• Configure alerts for any new administrator account creation
• Monitor database queries targeting wp_usermeta and wp_users tables for role modifications
• Implement real-time user activity monitoring to detect privilege abuse
• Review One-Login plugin activity logs for suspicious authentication patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23974

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit all user accounts on affected WordPress sites for unauthorized privilege escalations
• Consider temporarily disabling the One-Login plugin until a patch is available or alternative solution is implemented
• Review and verify the legitimacy of all administrator accounts
• Implement additional access controls at the web server or WAF level
• Monitor for any signs of exploitation or compromise

Patch Information

At the time of this advisory, site administrators should check the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for the latest patching information and updates from the plugin developer. Users should update to the latest version of One-Login once a security patch is released that addresses this vulnerability.

If no patched version is available, consider removing the plugin entirely and implementing an alternative authentication solution for your WordPress site.

Workarounds

• Disable or remove the One-Login plugin and use WordPress native authentication
• Implement additional server-level access controls to restrict administrative functions
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter malicious requests targeting the plugin
• Restrict user registration and require manual administrator approval for new accounts
• Implement IP-based access restrictions for WordPress administrative interfaces

# Disable One-Login plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate one-login

# Verify current administrator accounts
wp user list --role=administrator

# Review recent user capability changes
wp db query "SELECT * FROM wp_usermeta WHERE meta_key = 'wp_capabilities' ORDER BY umeta_id DESC LIMIT 50"