# CVE-2021-4360: Controlled Admin Access < 1.5.6 - Privilege Escalation

> Attackers can escalate privileges to administrator by accessing an unrestricted configuration page in the Controlled Admin Access WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6p6c-8qqm-q7cx

## What is CVE-2021-4360?

CVE-2021-4360 is a critical vulnerability in waseem_senjer Controlled Admin Access, published on 7 Jun 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Controlled Admin Access plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to, and including, 1.5.5 by not properly restricting access to the configuration page. This makes it possible for attackers to create a new administrator role with unrestricted access.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-4360?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wpruby Controlled Admin Access.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-4360?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-4360 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-4360 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-4360 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in waseem_senjer Controlled Admin Access

- [CVE-2021-24215](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24215/): Controlled Admin Access < 1.5.2 - Improper Access Control & Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-4360 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-4360 is a critical vulnerability in waseem_senjer Controlled Admin Access, published on 7 Jun 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-4360 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: waseem_senjer Controlled Admin Access. 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-2021-4360/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4360/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-4360
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4360
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-4360

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4360/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.