# CVE-2025-15018: Optional Email <= 1.3.11 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation to Account Takeover

> Unauthenticated attackers can hijack any user account, including administrators, by manipulating password reset keys due to improper filter handling in the Optional Email plugin.

- **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:** 7 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9w2c-ww5q-2rj7

## What is CVE-2025-15018?

CVE-2025-15018 is a critical vulnerability in djanym Optional Email, published on 7 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Optional Email plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.11. This is due to the plugin not restricting its 'random_password' filter to registration contexts, allowing the filter to affect password reset key generation. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to set a known password reset key when initiating a password reset, reset the password of any user including administrators, and gain access to their accounts.

Weakness: CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-15018?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-15018?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-15018 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-15018 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-15018 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-15018 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-15018 is a critical vulnerability in djanym Optional Email, published on 7 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-15018 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: djanym Optional Email. 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-2025-15018/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-15018/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-15018
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-15018
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-15018

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-15018/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.