CVE-2025-54714: Zephyr Project Manager Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-54714 Overview

CVE-2025-54714 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Dylan James Zephyr Project Manager plugin (zephyr-project-manager) for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.3.201 and is tracked under [CWE-862: Missing Authorization]. Authenticated users with low privileges can invoke plugin functionality that should require higher-level access control checks. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read sensitive project data and perform limited modifications on affected WordPress sites. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 and is exploitable over the network with low complexity.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with minimal privileges can bypass access control checks in Zephyr Project Manager to access and manipulate project data managed by the plugin.

Affected Products

Dylan James Zephyr Project Manager (zephyr-project-manager) WordPress plugin
All versions from initial release through 3.3.201
WordPress sites with the plugin installed and active

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-28 - CVE-2025-54714 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54714

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks on plugin endpoints exposed to authenticated WordPress users. The plugin fails to verify whether the requesting user holds the required capability before executing sensitive actions. This class of flaw, categorized as [CWE-862], occurs when code assumes prior authentication is sufficient without enforcing role-based capability checks.

An attacker who holds any authenticated session on the target site can call the affected endpoints and interact with project data managed by the plugin. Because the attack vector is network-based and requires only low privileges, the barrier to exploitation is minimal on multi-user WordPress deployments.

The CVSS vector indicates high confidentiality impact and low integrity impact, with no availability impact. Attackers can read project records and perform limited write operations without triggering the plugin's intended access control gates. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for technical details.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of current_user_can() capability checks or equivalent authorization logic on plugin action handlers. The plugin authenticates the request via WordPress session handling but does not validate that the authenticated user is authorized to invoke the requested project management operation.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an authenticated account on the target WordPress site, such as a Subscriber or Contributor. The attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to plugin endpoints that lack authorization enforcement. No user interaction from an administrator or higher-privileged user is required. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network wherever the WordPress site is reachable.

No verified public exploit code is available for this issue. Technical details are limited to the vendor advisory. The current EPSS probability is 0.203%.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54714

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected access or modification events in Zephyr Project Manager project records attributed to low-privileged accounts
HTTP requests to zephyr-project-manager plugin endpoints originating from Subscriber or Contributor sessions
Unusual admin-ajax.php or REST API calls referencing Zephyr Project Manager actions outside normal business hours

Detection Strategies

Audit WordPress access logs for requests to Zephyr Project Manager routes made by non-administrative user roles
Correlate plugin activity events with user role metadata to identify capability mismatches
Deploy WordPress activity logging plugins to capture project create, update, and delete events with associated user context

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor the installed version of zephyr-project-manager across all managed WordPress sites and alert on versions at or below 3.3.201
Track authentication events for low-privilege accounts that suddenly interact with project management functionality
Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation across sites

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54714

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Zephyr Project Manager plugin to a version later than 3.3.201 once released by the vendor
Review the Patchstack advisory for the fixed version identifier
Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade unnecessary low-privilege accounts
Review plugin-managed project data for signs of unauthorized read or modification

Patch Information

At the time of this advisory, the vendor has been notified through Patchstack. Administrators should install the vendor patch as soon as it is published and confirm the running plugin version through the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the Zephyr Project Manager plugin until a patched version is available if project management functionality is not business critical
Restrict registration to trusted users and disable open user registration in WordPress general settings
Deploy a web application firewall rule to block requests to Zephyr Project Manager endpoints from sessions belonging to low-privileged roles
Enforce multi-factor authentication for all WordPress accounts to reduce the risk of low-privilege account compromise

bash

# Check installed plugin version via WP-CLI
wp plugin get zephyr-project-manager --field=version

# Deactivate the plugin as a temporary workaround
wp plugin deactivate zephyr-project-manager

# Remove the plugin entirely if not required
wp plugin uninstall zephyr-project-manager