CVE-2025-2103 in SoundRise Music Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/14/2025
The SoundRise Music plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on theironMusic_ajax() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.6.11. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This can be leveraged to update the default role for registration to administrator and enable user registration for attackers to gain administrative user access to a vulnerable site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2025
The SoundRise Music plugin for WordPress presents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-2103 that stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within its ironMusic_ajax() function. This vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.6.11, creating a significant security gap that allows authenticated attackers with subscriber-level permissions or higher to manipulate core WordPress configuration settings. The flaw manifests as a missing capability check that should validate user permissions before executing sensitive administrative operations, effectively bypassing the intended role-based access controls that protect WordPress sites from unauthorized modifications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's AJAX handler function which processes administrative requests without proper authorization verification. When authenticated users with subscriber privileges access the ironMusic_ajax() endpoint, they can exploit the absence of capability validation to submit malicious requests that modify WordPress options. This particular flaw aligns with CWE-285, which categorizes improper authorization issues that allow attackers to perform actions beyond their designated permissions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and represents a classic example of insufficient privilege checking that undermines the fundamental security model of WordPress.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-2103 extends far beyond simple data modification capabilities, as it provides attackers with a pathway to achieve full administrative control over compromised WordPress installations. By leveraging this vulnerability, attackers can modify the default role assignment for new user registrations and enable user registration features, effectively creating a backdoor for privilege escalation. This attack vector enables threat actors to register new administrator accounts with minimal effort, allowing them to maintain persistent access to the compromised site. The implications are particularly severe as this vulnerability can be exploited without requiring elevated privileges initially, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to establish long-term control over WordPress environments.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically categorizing it under privilege escalation techniques where attackers leverage application-level flaws to gain higher-level permissions. The vulnerability's exploitation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials and the use of stolen credentials for access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including plugin updates to versions that address the missing capability checks, along with monitoring for unauthorized changes to WordPress configuration settings. Additionally, administrators should review user permissions and consider implementing additional security measures such as role-based access controls and regular security audits to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and capability checks in WordPress plugin development, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of all administrative functions.