User Activity Log <= 2.2 - Unauthenticated Limited Options Update via Failed Login
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Unpatched
- Affected Plugin
- User Activity Log
- Affected Version
<= 2.2- CVSS
- 7.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
- CVE
CVE-2025-11877
At a glance
CVE-2025-11877 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the User Activity Log WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. No fixed release has been reported yet; treat installations running this software as exposed. Disclosed January 2026, reported by shark3y.
Vulnerability Overview
The User Activity Log plugin is vulnerable to a limited options update in versions up to, and including, 2.2. The failed-login handler 'ual_shook_wp_login_failed' lacks a capability check and writes failed usernames directly into update_option() calls. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to push select site options from 0 to a non-zero value, allowing them to reopen registration or corrupt options like 'wp_user_roles', breaking wp-admin access. CVE-2025-13471 appears to be a duplicate of this CVE.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on integrity.
CWE-862: Missing Authorization
User Activity Log <= 2.2 carries this weakness at ual_shook_wp_login_failed, and reaching it takes no account at all. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.
Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. No fixed build of this plugin is recorded for User Activity Log yet, so installs running <= 2.2 stay exposed until the vendor ships one.
Remediation
No known patch available. Please review the vulnerability's details in depth and employ mitigations based on your organization's risk tolerance. It may be best to uninstall the affected software and find a replacement.
How does WordSec protect against this?
This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. No patched version is recorded yet, which is the case where a filtering layer matters most, because there is nothing to update to.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in User Activity Log
- 9.1CVE-2024-31356: User Activity Log <= 1.9 SQL Injection
CVE-2024-31356 - 8.1User Activity Log <= 1.6.2 SQL Injection via username
- 7.2CVE-2023-37966: User Activity Log <= 1.6.2 SQL Injection
CVE-2023-37966 - 6.6CVE-2023-2761: User Activity Log <= 1.6.2 SQL Injection
CVE-2023-2761 - 6.1User Activity Log <= 1.4.6 Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
- 6.1User Activity Log <= 1.4.6 Reflected Cross Site Scripting
- 5.3CVE-2025-13471: User Activity Log Limited Arbitrary Option Update
CVE-2025-13471 - 5.3CVE-2023-4279: User Activity Log <= 1.6.6 IP Address Spoofing
CVE-2023-4279
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C