Overview
A critical security vulnerability has been identified in the WordPress plugin User Profile Meta Manager, developed by Danny Vink. This flaw, registered as CVE-2025-48340, allows attackers to perform a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attack, potentially leading to privilege escalation.
The affected versions include all releases up to and including version 1.02. The vulnerability has been confirmed and published by Patchstack on May 19, 2025.
Technical Details
The issue stems from improper validation of user-supplied requests in the plugin’s implementation. Specifically, the vulnerability is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). CSRF attacks occur when a malicious actor tricks a logged-in user into unknowingly executing actions within a web application, typically by loading a crafted URL or image that triggers an HTTP request on the victim’s behalf.
According to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) v3.1, this vulnerability scores a 9.8 out of 10, marking it as Critical. The vector string for this CVSS score is:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
This indicates the attack can be conducted remotely (Attack Vector: Network), requires low complexity, and no privileges or user interaction. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high.
Impact
Successful exploitation could allow an unauthenticated attacker to escalate privileges by forging requests that appear to originate from a legitimate administrator. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive user data, plugin configurations, or potentially full control over the WordPress site depending on how the plugin integrates with user roles.
The vulnerability aligns with CAPEC-233: Privilege Escalation, highlighting the attack’s potential to allow unauthorized users to gain elevated permissions.
Remediation
- Update the Plugin: Site administrators are strongly advised to update the User Profile Meta Manager plugin to a patched version (if available) as soon as possible.
- Monitor User Accounts: Review user accounts for unauthorized privilege changes.
- Apply Web Security Best Practices: Use Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and ensure CSRF tokens are enforced across plugins and custom forms.
The vulnerability was discovered by chuck (Patchstack Alliance), and more details can be found on the Patchstack vulnerability database.
Conclusion
This critical vulnerability exemplifies the importance of secure coding practices, especially around authorization and input validation. Plugin developers should ensure proper nonce usage and request verification to mitigate CSRF risks. Administrators must stay informed and keep all plugins up-to-date to prevent exploitation.