Overview
A high-severity vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-13680, has been discovered in the Tiger theme for WordPress. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access (or higher) to escalate their privileges to that of an administrator. This poses a significant risk to websites using the affected theme.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from the improper use of the $user->set_role() function within the Tiger theme. The theme allows users to directly update their user role through this function without proper authorization checks. Consequently, an attacker can manipulate the system to change their role to ‘administrator’, gaining complete control over the WordPress website.
This direct manipulation bypasses the intended WordPress role management system and introduces a critical security flaw.
CVSS Analysis
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-13680
- Severity: HIGH
- CVSS Score: 8.8
A CVSS score of 8.8 indicates a high-severity vulnerability, suggesting that exploitation is relatively easy and the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is significant.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could have severe consequences, including:
- Complete website takeover: An attacker gaining administrator privileges can modify any aspect of the website, including content, settings, and user accounts.
- Data theft: Sensitive data stored on the WordPress website, such as user information or financial records, could be compromised.
- Malware distribution: The attacker can inject malicious code into the website, potentially infecting visitors and spreading malware.
- Defacement: The website can be defaced, damaging the reputation of the website owner.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is strongly recommended to take the following steps:
- Update the Tiger Theme: Check for an updated version of the Tiger theme provided by the developer. If an update is available (later than version 101.2.1), immediately install it to patch the vulnerability.
- If no Update is Available: Consider switching to a different, more secure WordPress theme until a patch is released.
- Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Keep a close watch on your WordPress website for any signs of unauthorized access or changes to user roles.
