CVE-2025-31643 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment) found in the Dasinfomedia WPCHURCH plugin, which is used to manage church-related websites on the WordPress platform. This vulnerability allows an attacker who already has some level of access (low privileges) to escalate their privileges to higher levels, potentially administrative, without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability affects all versions up to 2.7.0, though the exact earliest affected version is unspecified. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects a high-severity issue with network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means an attacker with limited privileges can remotely exploit the flaw to gain full control over the affected system. The incorrect privilege assignment likely results from improper role or capability checks within the plugin’s code, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive functions or data. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a prime target for attackers aiming to compromise WordPress sites running WPCHURCH. The absence of an official patch link suggests that users must rely on manual mitigation or wait for vendor updates. The vulnerability’s impact includes unauthorized data access, modification, deletion, and potential site takeover, which can lead to reputational damage and operational disruption for organizations relying on WPCHURCH for their web presence.

For European organizations, especially those operating religious or community websites using WPCHURCH, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Unauthorized privilege escalation can lead to full administrative control over the website, enabling attackers to steal sensitive user data, alter content, inject malicious code, or disrupt services. This can result in data breaches violating GDPR regulations, causing legal and financial repercussions. The integrity of community communications and trust can be severely damaged if attackers manipulate or deface websites. Additionally, availability impacts may disrupt online services, affecting organizational operations and outreach. Since WPCHURCH is a niche plugin, the impact is concentrated but critical for affected entities. The network-based exploitability and lack of required user interaction increase the likelihood of automated attacks targeting vulnerable installations across Europe. Organizations may also face secondary risks such as malware distribution or use of compromised sites in broader attack campaigns.

1. Immediately audit and review user roles and permissions within WPCHURCH and WordPress to ensure no excessive privileges are granted. 2. Restrict access to the WordPress admin dashboard and WPCHURCH management interfaces using IP whitelisting or VPNs where feasible. 3. Implement strict monitoring and alerting for unusual privilege escalations or administrative actions. 4. Apply the principle of least privilege to all user accounts and disable or remove unused accounts. 5. Regularly back up website data and configurations to enable rapid recovery in case of compromise. 6. Monitor official Dasinfomedia and WordPress plugin repositories for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly. 7. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block exploitation attempts targeting WPCHURCH privilege escalation vectors. 8. Educate site administrators about the risks of privilege escalation and encourage immediate reporting of suspicious activity. 9. If possible, conduct code reviews or penetration tests focused on privilege management within WPCHURCH to identify and remediate other potential weaknesses. 10. Until a patch is available, consider disabling or limiting the use of WPCHURCH features that require elevated privileges.