CVE-2025-49974 in UpStream Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/20/2025
Missing Authorization vulnerability in upstreamplugin UpStream: a Project Management Plugin for WordPress allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels. This issue affects UpStream: a Project Management Plugin for WordPress: from n/a through 2.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
The CVE-2025-49974 vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw within the UpStream project management plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting the upstreamplugin component that facilitates project management workflows. This vulnerability stems from improperly configured access control mechanisms that fail to enforce proper authorization checks, allowing unauthorized users to bypass security restrictions and access protected administrative functions. The issue manifests as a missing authorization control that enables attackers to exploit incorrect access control security levels, effectively undermining the plugin's intended security boundaries and potentially compromising the entire WordPress installation. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin from the initial release through version 2.1.0, indicating a persistent flaw that has remained unaddressed across multiple iterations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which describes improper authorization conditions that allow unauthorized users to perform privileged actions. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for attackers to escalate their privileges within the WordPress environment, potentially gaining access to sensitive project data, user information, and administrative controls. The flaw operates at the application layer where the plugin fails to validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations, creating a direct attack vector that can be exploited through various means including session manipulation, parameter tampering, or direct API endpoint access. The upstreamplugin component specifically handles project management functionalities that typically require elevated privileges, making this authorization bypass particularly dangerous as it could expose confidential project details, timelines, and team assignments to unauthorized parties.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-49974 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of project management workflows within WordPress environments. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially modify project statuses, alter deadlines, manipulate team assignments, or access restricted project documentation that should only be available to authorized personnel. The implications are particularly severe in professional environments where project management plugins handle sensitive business information, client data, and strategic planning details that could be leveraged for competitive advantage or financial gain. Additionally, the vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, allowing threat actors to establish persistent access within the WordPress environment and potentially escalate to compromise other system components. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that WordPress installations often serve as central hubs for business operations, making successful exploitation of this authorization flaw potentially devastating to organizational security posture.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-49974 must prioritize immediate remediation through plugin updates to versions that address the authorization flaw, as the vulnerability exists across multiple releases and requires active patching to resolve. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control reviews and ensure that all WordPress plugins maintain proper authorization mechanisms that validate user privileges before executing sensitive operations. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns or unauthorized attempts to manipulate project management functions, with particular attention to user roles and permissions within the WordPress environment. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be enforced across all plugin functionalities, ensuring that users can only access project management features appropriate to their assigned roles. Additionally, regular security audits of WordPress installations should include verification of plugin authorization controls to prevent similar issues from emerging in other components of the platform, with security teams implementing automated scanning processes that can identify misconfigured access controls across the entire WordPress ecosystem.