Overview
CVE-2025-10054 is a security vulnerability identified in the ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access (or higher) to escalate their privileges by removing the roles and capabilities of administrative users, WSDesk Supervisors, or WSDesk Agents. This can lead to a complete takeover of the affected WordPress site.
The vulnerability resides within the eh_crm_remove_agent function and stems from a missing capability check, allowing unauthorized users to manipulate user roles.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies in the eh_crm_remove_agent function within the class-crm-ajax-functions-two.php file of the ELEX WordPress HelpDesk plugin. Prior to version 3.3.2, this function lacked proper capability checks. An authenticated user, even with Subscriber-level access, could trigger this function via an AJAX request and remove the roles and capabilities of users with higher privileges, such as Administrators.
Specifically, the vulnerable code snippet (prior to the fix) looks something like this:
// Vulnerable code example (before fix)
public function eh_crm_remove_agent() {
$user_id = $_POST['user_id']; // No capability check here!
wp_delete_user( $user_id );
wp_send_json_success();
}
The absence of a check like current_user_can('manage_options') before deleting the user is the root cause of the vulnerability.
CVSS Analysis
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-10054
- Severity: MEDIUM
- CVSS Score: 5.3
- CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N (Illustrative – actual vector may differ slightly)
The CVSS score of 5.3 reflects the moderate impact and exploitability of this vulnerability. While it requires authentication, the ease of exploitation (low attack complexity and no user interaction) and the potential for significant damage (modification of data/privilege escalation) contribute to the overall score.
Possible Impact
The exploitation of CVE-2025-10054 can have severe consequences:
- Privilege Escalation: Subscriber-level users can gain administrative control of the WordPress site.
- Data Manipulation: Attackers can modify or delete critical data managed by the HelpDesk plugin.
- Site Defacement/Takeover: Attackers can deface the website or completely take control of it.
- Loss of Functionality: Removing administrator accounts can disrupt critical website functionality.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to update the ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System plugin to version 3.3.2 or later. This version includes a fix that implements proper capability checks on the eh_crm_remove_agent function, preventing unauthorized users from removing administrator roles.
To update the plugin:
- Log in to your WordPress administration dashboard.
- Navigate to the “Plugins” section.
- Locate the “ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System” plugin.
- Click “Update Now” to update to the latest version. If an update is not available, you may need to manually remove and reinstall the plugin (ensure you have a backup beforehand) or contact the plugin developer for assistance.
If updating is not immediately possible, consider temporarily disabling the plugin until an update can be applied.
