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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

200,000+ WordPress Sites at Risk Due to a Plugin Vulnerability

200,000+ WordPress Sites at Risk Due to a Plugin Vulnerability
Author Image Husain Parvez
Husain Parvez Published on 5th July 2023 Cybersecurity Researcher

A vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3460 with a CVSS score of 9.8 has been discovered in all versions of the Ultimate Member plugin, including the most recent release (2.6.6), on June 29. This allowed the hackers to exploit a zero-day vulnerability, exposing WordPress websites to potential exploitation.

The plugin contained a critical flaw that enabled site visitors to create member profiles with privileges similar to those of administrators. This vulnerability further escalated the potential impact of the exploit, posing a significant risk to the security of WordPress websites utilizing the Ultimate Member plugin.

After users pointed out the plugin vulnerability, the support team responded that they were “working on the fixes related to this vulnerability.” The support team also clarified that all previous versions of the plugin “are vulnerable, so we highly recommend to upgrade your websites to 2.6.6 and keep updates in the future for getting the recent security and feature enhancements.”

In an alert, WordPress security firm WPScan emphasized the severity of this issue, stating: "This is an extremely critical vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit it and create new user accounts with administrative privileges. This grants them full control over the affected sites, posing a significant threat."

Researchers from WordFence have also noted instances of attacks exploiting this issue. They have clarified that the flaw has not been adequately addressed in the latest version, which is 2.6.6 at the time of writing. This highlights the urgency for users to take appropriate measures to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability until a comprehensive patch is released.

Considering the far reach of the WordPress CMS, it isn’t surprising for threat actors to target it, just as they did with the Jetpack plugin a month ago. Site owners are advised to immediately disable the Ultimate Member plugin to prevent exploitation and conduct an audit of administrator roles to identify any unauthorized accounts.

About the Author

Husain Parvez is a Cybersecurity Researcher and News Writer at vpnMentor, focusing on VPN reviews, detailed how-to guides, and hands-on tutorials. Husain is also a part of the vpnMentor Cybersecurity News bulletin and loves covering the latest events in cyberspace and data privacy.