CVE-2025-1295 is a critical privilege escalation vulnerability found in the Templines Elementor Helper Core plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 2.7. The root cause is improper privilege management (CWE-269), where the plugin allows arbitrary updates to user meta data without adequate access control checks. This flaw enables authenticated users with minimal privileges (Subscriber-level or above) to escalate their role to Administrator. The exploitation path requires the presence and activation of the BuddyPress plugin, which likely interacts with user meta data in a way that facilitates this unauthorized privilege modification. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). While no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability’s nature and ease of exploitation make it a critical risk for WordPress sites using these plugins. Attackers who gain administrator privileges can take full control of the website, including installing malicious code, stealing sensitive data, or disrupting services. The vulnerability was published on February 27, 2025, and no official patches have been linked yet, emphasizing the urgency for mitigation.

The impact of CVE-2025-1295 is severe for organizations running WordPress sites with the Templines Elementor Helper Core plugin alongside BuddyPress. Successful exploitation grants attackers full administrative control over the website, compromising confidentiality by exposing sensitive user and organizational data, integrity by allowing unauthorized content or code changes, and availability by potentially disabling or defacing the site. This can lead to data breaches, loss of customer trust, reputational damage, and potential regulatory penalties. Additionally, attackers could use the compromised site as a launchpad for further attacks, including malware distribution or lateral movement within an organization’s network. The vulnerability affects a broad range of websites, from small businesses to large enterprises, especially those relying on these popular plugins for site functionality and community features.

To mitigate CVE-2025-1295, organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations for the presence of both Templines Elementor Helper Core (up to version 2.7) and BuddyPress plugins. If both are installed and active, restrict access to the WordPress admin and user registration areas to trusted users only. Disable or uninstall either plugin if not essential. Monitor user role changes closely for unauthorized privilege escalations. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious user meta update requests. Limit Subscriber-level user capabilities via custom role definitions or plugins that enforce stricter privilege boundaries. Regularly back up WordPress sites and databases to enable quick restoration if compromise occurs. Stay alert for official patches or updates from the Templines vendor and apply them promptly once available. Consider employing security plugins that detect privilege escalation attempts and anomalous user behavior.