CVE-2025-65094 in WBCE
Summary
by MITRE • 11/19/2025
WBCE CMS is a content management system. Prior to version 1.6.4, a low-privileged user in WBCE CMS can escalate their privileges to the Administrators group by manipulating the groups[] parameter in the /admin/users/save.php request. The UI restricts users to assigning only their existing group, but server-side validation is missing, allowing attackers to overwrite their group membership and obtain full administrative access. This results in a complete compromise of the CMS. This issue has been patched in version 1.6.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-65094 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the WBCE CMS platform that directly undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This security weakness affects versions prior to 1.6.4 and demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture where client-side restrictions are bypassed through server-side validation gaps. The vulnerability specifically targets the user management functionality of the CMS, exploiting a discrepancy between the user interface limitations and the underlying server-side processing logic that fails to properly validate user permissions and group assignments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the groups[] parameter within the /admin/users/save.php endpoint, which serves as the administrative interface for user group management. Attackers with low-privileged accounts can craft malicious requests that include unauthorized group assignments, effectively allowing them to overwrite their current group membership and elevate their privileges to administrator level. This represents a classic case of insufficient server-side input validation where the application fails to verify that the requesting user has the authority to assign the specified groups, creating a direct path to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with unrestricted access to all administrative functions within the CMS. Once elevated to administrator status, malicious users can modify content, add or remove users, alter system configurations, and potentially access sensitive data stored within the CMS. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the system. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the entire security model of the content management system.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a clear example of CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which occurs when an application fails to properly enforce access controls for operations that require specific permissions. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078: Valid Accounts, as it allows attackers to leverage legitimate user accounts to gain elevated privileges without requiring additional authentication credentials. The patch implemented in version 1.6.4 addresses this issue through enhanced server-side validation that properly checks user permissions before allowing group membership modifications, ensuring that only authorized administrators can assign elevated privileges to other users. Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 1.6.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability and prevent potential exploitation by malicious actors.