# CVE-2025-8218: Privilege escalation in Real Spaces - WordPress Properties Directory Theme

> Authenticated users can escalate privileges to Administrator by manipulating the role parameter during profile updates in the Real Spaces WordPress theme.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/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:** 19 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rcch-6gmj-jf47

## What is CVE-2025-8218?

CVE-2025-8218 is a high-severity vulnerability in imithemes Real Spaces - WordPress Properties Directory Theme, published on 19 Aug 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Real Spaces - WordPress Properties Directory Theme theme for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via the 'change_role_member' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.5. This is due to a lack of restriction in the profile update role. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to arbitrarily choose their role, including the Administrator role, during a profile update.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-8218?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-8218?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-8218 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-8218 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-8218 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-8218 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-8218 is a high-severity vulnerability in imithemes Real Spaces - WordPress Properties Directory Theme, published on 19 Aug 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-8218 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: imithemes Real Spaces - WordPress Properties Directory Theme. 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-2025-8218/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-8218/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-8218
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-8218
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-8218

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-8218/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.