CVE-2025-14976 in User Registration & Membership Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/10/2026
The User Registration & Membership – Custom Registration Form Builder, Custom Login Form, User Profile, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 4.4.8. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the 'process_row_actions' function with the 'delete' action. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary post via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-14976 affects the User Registration & Membership WordPress plugin, specifically targeting versions up to and including 4.4.8. This plugin serves as a comprehensive membership management solution that handles user registration, custom forms, content restriction, and user profile management. The vulnerability stems from a critical flaw in the plugin's security implementation where proper nonce validation is either missing or incorrectly implemented within the process_row_actions function. This function is responsible for handling administrative actions such as deleting posts, making it a prime target for exploitation. The absence of proper nonce verification creates a significant security gap that allows attackers to manipulate administrative functions without proper authorization.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities where web applications fail to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources. In this case, the plugin's process_row_actions function lacks the necessary cryptographic token verification that would normally prevent unauthorized actions from being executed. The attack vector requires an administrator to be tricked into clicking on a malicious link or visiting a compromised website, but once executed, the forged request can delete arbitrary posts from the WordPress installation. This represents a classic CSRF attack pattern where the attacker leverages the administrator's authenticated session to perform unauthorized operations, effectively bypassing normal access controls and permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows unauthenticated attackers to compromise content integrity and potentially disrupt site operations. Administrators may unknowingly delete important posts, pages, or other content while performing routine browsing activities, leading to data loss and potential service disruption. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the membership plugin, which may have implications for user management, content restriction policies, and overall site security posture. Given that the plugin handles user registration and membership data, successful exploitation could also potentially expose sensitive user information or disrupt membership workflows. The impact extends beyond simple content deletion as it undermines the fundamental security model of WordPress administrative functions and could serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the vulnerable plugin to version 4.4.9 or later where the nonce validation has been properly implemented. Site administrators should also implement additional security measures such as enabling two-factor authentication for administrative accounts, regularly monitoring administrative actions through security plugins, and educating users about the dangers of clicking suspicious links. The WordPress security team recommends that all users immediately update to the patched version and that organizations conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify other potentially vulnerable plugins. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the primary solution remains the official plugin update that addresses the underlying nonce validation issue. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in web applications, particularly in administrative functions where the consequences of exploitation can be severe.