# CVE-2021-25032: PublishPress Capabilities < 2.3.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Options Update to Blog Compromise

> Unauthenticated attackers can update arbitrary blog options to grant administrator privileges to new users, leading to full site compromise.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jvmr-8pwj-ffqf

## What is CVE-2021-25032?

CVE-2021-25032 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown PublishPress Capabilities Pro, published on 10 Jan 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The PublishPress Capabilities WordPress plugin before 2.3.1, PublishPress Capabilities Pro WordPress plugin before 2.3.1 does not have authorisation and CSRF checks when updating the plugin's settings via the init hook, and does not ensure that the options to be updated belong to the plugin. As a result, unauthenticated attackers could update arbitrary blog options, such as the default role and make any new registered user with an administrator role.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-25032?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Publishpress Capabilities.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-25032?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-25032 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-25032 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25032 exists.

Public exploit code:

- PublishPress Capabilities < 2.3.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Options Update to Blog Compromise (github_poc): https://github.com/RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2021-25032
- PublishPress Capabilities < 2.3.1 - Missing Authorization (nuclei): http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-25032.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown PublishPress Capabilities Pro

- [CVE-2022-3366](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3366/): PublishPress Capabilities < 2.5.2 - Admin+ PHP Objection Injection (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-25032 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-25032 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown PublishPress Capabilities Pro, published on 10 Jan 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25032 exists.

Affected product: Unknown PublishPress Capabilities Pro. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25032/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25032/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-25032
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-25032
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-25032

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25032/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.