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50,000+ WordPress Sites Vulnerable to Privilege Escalation Attacks

On March 5, 2025, security researcher mikemyers uncovered this vulnerability, officially termed an Arbitrary File Upload flaw, in the Uncanny Automator plugin. Wordfence, the leading WordPress security provider, implemented protective measures for its premium users by March 7, 2025. Mikemyers, the researcher who reported the vulnerability, earned $1,065.00 through the Wordfence Bug Bounty Program, reflecting the industry’s commitment to strengthening WordPress security. For those using Uncanny Automator, upgrading to version 6.4.0 is non-negotiable, and implementing comprehensive security tools like Wordfence is strongly recommended. This alarming flaw allows authenticated users, even those with minimal subscriber-level access, to elevate their privileges to administrator status, posing a severe threat to website security. The vulnerability stemmed from missing authorization checks for certain REST API endpoints, allowing attackers with valid site accounts to exploit functions that modify user roles. The Uncanny Automator vulnerability serves as a stark reminder of the importance of regular website maintenance and security vigilance. In a recent discovery, over 50,000 WordPress sites using the popular “Uncanny Automator” plugin have been found vulnerable to privilege escalation attacks. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. Without sufficient security measures in the validate_rest_call() function, these API endpoints were left exposed, enabling privilege escalation with minimal effort. The discovery of this flaw showcases the importance of collaboration between security researchers and plugin developers. Administrators of affected websites are urged to update their Uncanny Automator plugin to the latest secure version, 6.4.0, without delay. Additionally, users of Wordfence Premium, Wordfence Care, and Wordfence Response have already received protective firewall rules, offering them peace of mind against potential exploits. The Uncanny Owl team, developers of the plugin, responded promptly after learning of the flaw on March 11, 2025. This plugin, known for enhancing automation and workflows for WordPress websites, failed to implement proper capability checks in its codebase. Kaaviya is a Security Editor and fellow reporter with Cyber Security News.

This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Mon, 07 Apr 2025 12:55:09 +0000


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