Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-23528

High

Published: 16 January 2025

Published
16 January 2025
Modified
29 April 2026
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0011 29.1th percentile
Risk Priority 18 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-23528 is a high-severity Incorrect Privilege Assignment (CWE-266) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 29.1th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-2 (Account Management) and AC-6 (Least Privilege).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.
Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

prevent

Directly requires timely identification, reporting, and correction of the privilege escalation flaw in DD Roles plugin versions through 4.1.

prevent

Enforces least privilege assignment to counter incorrect privilege assignment enabling low-privilege users to escalate in the DD Roles plugin.

prevent

Manages account privileges to ensure proper assignment and review, mitigating exploitation of the DD Roles plugin's privilege escalation vulnerability.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
Why these techniques?

The CVE describes an incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability in a WordPress plugin that directly enables privilege escalation by an authenticated low-privilege attacker, mapping to T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability in Mosterd3d DD Roles dd-roles allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects DD Roles: from n/a through <= 4.1.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-23528 is an Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability (CWE-266) in the DD Roles WordPress plugin developed by Mosterd3d. The flaw allows for privilege escalation and affects all versions of the dd-roles plugin from n/a through 4.1 inclusive.

The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). It can be exploited over the network by an authenticated attacker with low privileges, requiring low complexity and no user interaction. Successful exploitation grants high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, enabling privilege escalation within the affected WordPress installation.

Patchstack advisories document this privilege escalation vulnerability in the DD Roles plugin up to version 4.1, providing details on the issue at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/dd-roles/vulnerability/wordpress-dd-roles-plugin-4-1-privilege-escalation-vulnerability?_s_id=cve.

Details

CWE(s)

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-27102Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-69293Shared CWE-266
CVE-2026-25414Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-31643Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-33179Shared CWE-266
CVE-2026-27541Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-69378Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-24648Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-1653Shared CWE-266
CVE-2025-67966Shared CWE-266

References