CVE-2025-13764 is a critical security vulnerability in the WP CarDealer plugin for WordPress, developed by ApusTheme. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) and affects all versions up to and including 1.2.16. The root cause lies in the 'WP_CarDealer_User::process_register' function, which fails to enforce restrictions on the user roles that can be assigned during the registration process. Specifically, this allows an unauthenticated attacker to specify the 'administrator' role when registering a new user account. As a result, the attacker gains full administrative privileges on the WordPress site, enabling complete control over site content, configuration, and potentially the underlying server environment. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network, making it highly accessible to attackers. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 reflects the critical nature of this flaw, with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the simplicity and severity of the vulnerability make it a prime target for attackers once publicized. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate risk mitigation by site administrators. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper role validation in user registration workflows within WordPress plugins, especially those that manage user roles and permissions.

The impact of CVE-2025-13764 on European organizations can be severe. Successful exploitation results in complete administrative access to affected WordPress sites, allowing attackers to manipulate website content, steal sensitive data, deploy malware, or use the compromised site as a foothold for further network intrusion. For organizations relying on WP CarDealer for their online presence, especially in automotive sales or related sectors, this could lead to significant reputational damage, financial loss, and regulatory penalties under GDPR if personal data is exposed. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation and lack of required authentication increase the risk of widespread compromise. Additionally, compromised sites could be leveraged to launch phishing campaigns or distribute ransomware, amplifying the threat to European businesses. The availability of the plugin across many WordPress installations in Europe means that the attack surface is substantial, particularly for small to medium enterprises that may lack dedicated security resources. The critical severity underscores the urgency for European organizations to assess their exposure and implement mitigations promptly.

1. Immediate mitigation involves disabling or restricting the user registration functionality within the WP CarDealer plugin until a security patch is released. 2. Monitor the WordPress user database for any unauthorized accounts with administrative privileges and remove suspicious users promptly. 3. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block attempts to register users with elevated roles via the vulnerable endpoint. 4. Restrict plugin installation and updates to trusted administrators to prevent unauthorized changes. 5. Regularly audit WordPress plugins and themes for updates and security advisories, prioritizing the application of patches as soon as they become available. 6. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative accounts to reduce the impact of compromised credentials. 7. Employ principle of least privilege by limiting the number of users with administrative rights and reviewing role assignments frequently. 8. If possible, apply custom code or filters to validate and restrict user roles during registration as a temporary workaround. 9. Maintain regular backups of the WordPress site and database to enable rapid recovery in case of compromise. 10. Educate site administrators about the risks of privilege escalation vulnerabilities and the importance of timely patching.