WPC Admin Columns 2.0.6 - 2.1.0 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via User Meta Update
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 2.1.1
- Affected Plugin
- WPC Admin Columns
- Affected Version
2.0.6 – 2.1.0- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
- CVE
CVE-2025-3418
At a glance
CVE-2025-3418 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the WPC Admin Columns WordPress plugin, affecting versions 2.0.6 – 2.1.0. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.1.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2025, reported by kr0d.
Vulnerability Overview
The WPC Admin Columns plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in versions 2.0.6 to 2.1.0. This is due to the plugin not properly restricting user meta values that can be updated through the ajax_edit_save() function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to update their role to that of an administrator.
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 interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
WPC Admin Columns 2.0.6 – 2.1.0 carries this weakness at ajax_edit_save(), and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. Improper privilege management means the code lets an account end up with capabilities its role should not have.
It converts a low-privileged account into an administrative one, which makes every other restriction on the site irrelevant. For WPC Admin Columns the fix is 2.1.1: builds 2.0.6 – 2.1.0 are affected, anything from 2.1.1 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 2.1.1, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: WPC Admin Columns 2.1.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in WPC Admin Columns
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C