Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2025-6388 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in Themespirit (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique VNC (T1021.005); ranked at the 46th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-25 (Reference Monitor) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-6388 is an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the Spirit Framework plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 1.2.14. The issue stems from the custom_actions() function failing to properly validate a user's identity before authenticating them to the site, as identified under CWE-288. It has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity due to its network accessibility, low complexity, and lack of prerequisites.
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely if they know an administrator's username, allowing them to log in as any user, including administrators. Successful exploitation grants full access to the WordPress site, enabling attackers to perform privileged actions such as modifying content, installing malicious plugins, or exfiltrating data.
Advisories from Wordfence and the plugin developer's changelog at themespirit.com/talemy-changelog/ detail the vulnerability, with mitigation likely involving updating to a patched version beyond 1.2.14. Security practitioners should immediately review and update affected Spirit Framework installations.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-32563
Vulnerability Data
The Spirit Framework plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.14. This is due to the custom_actions() function not properly validating a user's identity prior to authenticating them to the site. This…
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makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any user, including administrators, granted they have access to the administrator's username.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 7 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
V6.4.3V6.6.1V12.1.3
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Requires a tamperproof, always-invoked reference monitor that structurally blocks bypass via any alternate path.
Enforces authorization checks on every logical access path, eliminating unauthenticated alternate channels.
Mandates unique identification and authentication for all organizational users, covering the primary authentication requirement.
Controls all external and key internal interfaces, reducing the chance of unauthenticated alternate channels.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Requiring authentication on every channel and path directly eliminates alternate-path bypasses.
Enforcing authorizations and least privilege across all access vectors prevents unauthenticated alternate paths.
Protecting networks and environments from unauthorized logical access blocks bypass via undocumented channels.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect alternate-path bypasses but does not prevent them in production.
A.8.3's core (access restriction per policies, config mechanisms, identity/group controls, isolation, dynamic techniques requiring auth/credentials) directly stops exploitation of alternate unauthenticated paths for most instances; the bounded remainder is non-access-channel cases (e.g. pure logic errors in alternate-path checks) or pre-auth bypasses outside its enforcement scope.
A.8.5 mandates strong, multi-factor, alternate-path-resistant authentication techniques plus hardened log-on procedures that directly block unauthenticated alternate channels for most cases (e.g. no bypass via weak paths, sniffing, or incomplete checks); the bounded remainder is non-standard or environment-specific alternate channels outside the clause's listed protections.
Access rights provisioning and review prevent bypass via unmonitored or alternate channels.
Privileged access rights control reduces risk of bypass through elevated or alternate paths.
Secure coding practices help avoid bypass vulnerabilities but do not address deployed instances.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
- V-248598 There must be no ".shosts" files on the OL 8 operating system. blocks CWE-288
- V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288
Oracle Linux 9 (2 rules)
- V-271757 OL 9 file systems must not contain shosts.equiv files. blocks CWE-288
- V-271758 OL 9 file systems must not contain .shosts files. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 7 (3 rules)
- V-204440 Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems version 7.2 or newer using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-288
- V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288
- V-204424 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not allow accounts configured with blank or null passwords. blocks CWE-288