The WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to missing authorization in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_empoyee() functions in versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST['role'] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to wp_insert_user() and later to $user->set_role() without verifying that the current user is allowed to assign that role. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Employee-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to administrator.
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Mishubd
Mishubd wp Human Resource Management
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:mishubd:wp_human_resource_management:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
Vendors & Products Mishubd
Mishubd wp Human Resource Management

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 04 Jul 2025 02:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The WP Human Resource Management plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation due to missing authorization in the ajax_insert_employee() and update_empoyee() functions in versions 2.0.0 through 2.2.17. The AJAX handler reads the client-supplied $_POST['role'] and, after basic cleaning via hrm_clean(), passes it directly to wp_insert_user() and later to $user->set_role() without verifying that the current user is allowed to assign that role. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Employee-level access and above, to elevate their privileges to administrator.
Title WP Human Resource Management 2.0.0 - 2.2.17 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Employee+) Privilege Escalation via wp_ajax_hrm_insert_employee AJAX Action
Weaknesses CWE-862
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Wordfence

Published:

Updated: 2025-07-08T14:21:48.349Z

Reserved: 2025-06-09T19:08:46.265Z

Link: CVE-2025-5953

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2025-07-08T14:21:42.354Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2025-07-04T03:15:21.583

Modified: 2025-08-13T19:29:51.790

Link: CVE-2025-5953

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.