CVE-2025-11533 is a critical security vulnerability identified in the WP Freeio plugin for WordPress, developed by ApusTheme. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269, indicating improper privilege management. Specifically, the process_register() function within the plugin does not enforce restrictions on the user roles that can be assigned during the registration process. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to supply the 'administrator' role when registering a new user account, effectively granting themselves full administrative privileges on the affected WordPress site. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.2.21. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 9.8, indicating a critical severity level, with attack vector being network (AV:N), no required privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability all rated high (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means an attacker can remotely exploit this vulnerability without authentication or user interaction, leading to complete site compromise. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation make it a high-risk issue. The lack of a patch at the time of publication means that affected sites remain vulnerable until an update is released or mitigations are applied.

The impact of CVE-2025-11533 on European organizations is substantial. Organizations using WordPress sites with the WP Freeio plugin are at risk of complete site takeover by unauthenticated attackers. This can lead to unauthorized data access, data modification, defacement, or use of the compromised site as a launchpad for further attacks such as phishing or malware distribution. For businesses relying on their WordPress sites for e-commerce, customer engagement, or internal operations, this vulnerability threatens confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical information and services. The attack requires no authentication or user interaction, increasing the likelihood of exploitation. European organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, media, education, and government, which commonly use WordPress, could face reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR for data breaches, and operational disruptions. The risk is heightened in countries with high WordPress market penetration and active cybercriminal presence.

To mitigate CVE-2025-11533, organizations should immediately monitor for updates from ApusTheme and apply patches as soon as they become available. Until a patch is released, administrators should disable user self-registration or restrict it to trusted roles only by customizing the registration process through WordPress hooks or third-party plugins that enforce role restrictions. Implementing web application firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block registration attempts specifying the 'administrator' role can reduce risk. Regularly audit user accounts for unauthorized administrator accounts and remove suspicious entries promptly. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrator accounts to limit damage if an attacker gains access. Additionally, maintain regular backups of the website and database to enable recovery in case of compromise. Monitoring logs for unusual registration activity and failed login attempts can provide early warning signs of exploitation attempts.