CVE-2025-24648: ASE Plugin Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2025-24648 Overview

CVE-2025-24648 is an Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability [CWE-266] in the Bowo Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects admin-site-enhancements versions up to and including 7.6.2.1. Authenticated users with low-level privileges can escalate to higher-privileged roles on the WordPress site. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without user interaction, though attack complexity is rated high. Successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress installation.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can escalate privileges within WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the Admin and Site Enhancements plugin, gaining control over site content, users, and configuration.

Affected Products

• Bowo Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) plugin for WordPress
• admin-site-enhancements versions through 7.6.2.1
• WordPress sites with the ASE plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-04 - CVE-2025-24648 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24648

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) WordPress plugin, which provides administrative utilities to WordPress site operators. The plugin contains an Incorrect Privilege Assignment flaw classified under [CWE-266]. Authenticated users assigned lower roles can obtain capabilities reserved for higher-privileged accounts. Privilege escalation in WordPress typically permits content modification, user management, plugin installation, and theme manipulation. Attackers who escalate to administrator can install malicious plugins or themes that achieve remote code execution on the underlying server.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper enforcement of role and capability checks within the plugin's privileged operations. The plugin assigns or honors capabilities without correctly validating the requesting user's authorized role. This permits authenticated users to invoke functionality intended for administrators or editors. The Patchstack advisory documents the issue against versions up to 7.6.2.1.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires the attacker to hold valid credentials for a low-privileged WordPress account on the target site. The attacker authenticates and then issues HTTP requests to plugin endpoints that fail to validate the caller's role. The high attack complexity reflects specific preconditions or timing required for reliable exploitation. The vulnerability does not require user interaction from a victim once the attacker is authenticated. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for technical specifics.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24648

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected promotion of WordPress user accounts to administrator, editor, or other elevated roles.
• New administrator accounts created shortly after low-privileged authentication events.
• Installation of unfamiliar WordPress plugins or themes following routine subscriber or contributor logins.
• Modifications to wp_usermeta entries for wp_capabilities originating from non-administrator sessions.

Detection Strategies

• Audit WordPress user role changes against the originating user's prior capability level.
• Inspect HTTP access logs for requests to admin-site-enhancements plugin endpoints from low-privileged authenticated sessions.
• Compare the installed plugin version to 7.6.2.1 and flag affected installations.
• Review WordPress audit logs and database history for capability assignments that bypass standard administrative workflows.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to record role and capability changes in real time.
• Forward web server access logs and WordPress audit events to a centralized logging platform for correlation.
• Alert on creation of new administrator accounts outside maintenance windows.
• Monitor outbound network traffic from the WordPress host for indicators of post-exploitation web shells or backdoors.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24648

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Admin and Site Enhancements plugin to a version newer than 7.6.2.1 as soon as a fixed release is available from the vendor.
• Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove any unauthorized administrator or editor roles.
• Rotate credentials for all WordPress accounts, prioritizing privileged users.
• Review installed plugins, themes, and uploaded files for backdoors introduced through escalated access.

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects admin-site-enhancements versions up to and including 7.6.2.1. Site operators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the plugin's WordPress.org repository for the patched release. Apply the update across all WordPress instances that use this plugin.

Workarounds

• Deactivate and remove the Admin and Site Enhancements plugin until a patched version is installed.
• Restrict access to /wp-admin/ and authenticated plugin endpoints using a web application firewall rule set.
• Enforce least privilege by reviewing role assignments and disabling self-registration where it is not required.
• Require multi-factor authentication for all WordPress user accounts to limit credential-based access.

# Configuration example: disable open user registration in wp-config.php
# and verify the installed ASE plugin version
wp option update users_can_register 0
wp plugin get admin-site-enhancements --field=version
wp plugin update admin-site-enhancements