CVE-2025-13764 is a critical security vulnerability classified under CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) found in the WP CarDealer plugin for WordPress, developed by ApusTheme. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.2.16. The root cause is 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, it allows unauthenticated attackers to specify the 'administrator' role when registering a new user account. This lack of validation means an attacker can create an administrator account without any authentication or user interaction, thereby gaining full administrative control over the WordPress site. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8, indicating critical severity with network attack vector, no required privileges, no user interaction, and full impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the ease of exploitation and potential damage make this a highly critical threat. The vulnerability affects any WordPress site using the WP CarDealer plugin, which is commonly used for automotive dealership websites. The absence of a patch link suggests that a fix is either pending or must be manually implemented by restricting role assignment during registration. This vulnerability could lead to complete site takeover, data theft, defacement, or use of the site as a launchpad for further attacks.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is severe. Compromise of administrator accounts can lead to full site control, enabling attackers to manipulate website content, steal sensitive customer data, inject malicious code, or disrupt business operations. Automotive dealerships and related businesses using WP CarDealer are particularly at risk, potentially affecting their reputation and customer trust. Given the critical nature of the vulnerability, attackers could leverage it to deploy ransomware, conduct phishing campaigns, or pivot into internal networks if the WordPress site is integrated with other corporate systems. The widespread use of WordPress across Europe, combined with the popularity of automotive plugins, increases the attack surface. Additionally, regulatory frameworks such as GDPR impose strict data protection requirements, and a breach resulting from this vulnerability could lead to significant legal and financial penalties. The lack of authentication and user interaction requirements makes exploitation straightforward, increasing the likelihood of attacks targeting European organizations.

Immediate mitigation steps include disabling public user registration on affected WordPress sites until a patch is available. Administrators should manually review and restrict the 'process_register' function in the WP CarDealer plugin to enforce role assignment policies, ensuring that users cannot self-assign the 'administrator' role. Monitoring registration logs for suspicious activity and implementing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to block attempts to register with elevated roles can reduce risk. Organizations should maintain regular backups of their WordPress sites to enable recovery in case of compromise. Once a vendor patch is released, prompt updating of the plugin is essential. Additionally, applying the principle of least privilege by limiting the number of administrator accounts and using multi-factor authentication (MFA) for admin logins can help mitigate the impact of any successful exploit. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability scans and penetration tests to detect any exploitation attempts. Finally, educating site administrators about this vulnerability and ensuring they follow secure configuration practices is critical.