CVE-2023-6009 in UserPro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2023
The UserPro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in versions up to, and including, 5.1.4 due to insufficient restriction on the 'userpro_update_user_profile' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with minimal permissions such as a subscriber, to modify their user role by supplying the 'wp_capabilities' parameter during a profile update.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-6009 affects the UserPro plugin for WordPress, a popular user management solution that extends WordPress functionality with advanced profile handling capabilities. This privilege escalation flaw exists in versions up to and including 5.1.4, making it a significant security concern for WordPress installations that rely on this plugin for user management. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the plugin's core functionality, specifically targeting the user profile update process that should be restricted to authorized modifications only.
The technical flaw manifests through the 'userpro_update_user_profile' function which fails to properly validate or sanitize the 'wp_capabilities' parameter during user profile updates. This parameter typically contains user capability information that defines what actions a user can perform within the WordPress system. When an authenticated attacker with minimal permissions submits a crafted request containing this parameter, the function processes the input without sufficient authorization checks, allowing the attacker to escalate their privileges by modifying their own user role. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited through a simple authenticated request without requiring additional attack vectors or complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows low-privilege users to gain elevated permissions within the WordPress environment. An attacker who gains access to a subscriber-level account can potentially escalate to administrator privileges, which would provide complete control over the website content, user management, and system configuration. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of WordPress where user roles and capabilities are designed to restrict access to specific functions. The implications extend beyond simple profile modifications as the attacker could potentially access sensitive data, modify content, install malicious plugins, or even compromise the entire WordPress installation. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where subscribers might be legitimate users with minimal required permissions.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management, which specifically addresses issues where applications fail to properly enforce access controls for privileged operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1484.1 Domain Policy Modification, as it allows attackers to leverage existing accounts to gain elevated privileges and modify system policies through user role manipulation. Organizations should immediately update to the latest version of the UserPro plugin where this vulnerability has been patched, as the fix typically involves implementing proper input validation and capability checks within the profile update function. Additionally, implementing network monitoring to detect unusual profile update activities and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins can help identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in production environments.