CVE-2025-5998 is a vulnerability identified in the PPWP – Password Protect Pages WordPress plugin, specifically in versions prior to 1.9.11. This plugin is designed to restrict access to site content by requiring password authorization. However, the vulnerability arises from improper handling of permissions related to the WordPress REST API. Users with subscriber roles or higher can bypass the intended password protection and access protected content via REST API endpoints. The core issue is classified under CWE-2280, which pertains to improper handling of insufficient permissions or privileges. This means that the plugin fails to adequately enforce access control checks on REST API requests, allowing unauthorized content disclosure to authenticated users who should not have such access. The vulnerability does not require elevated privileges beyond subscriber-level access, which is a default role assigned to registered users with minimal permissions. Exploitation does not require user interaction beyond having an account with subscriber or greater roles. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in August 2025. The absence of a patch link suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available or that users must upgrade to version 1.9.11 or later to remediate the issue. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality by exposing protected content that should be restricted, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure. Integrity and availability impacts are minimal or not directly affected by this vulnerability.

For European organizations using the PPWP – Password Protect Pages plugin on WordPress sites, this vulnerability poses a significant confidentiality risk. Protected content intended to be shielded behind password authorization can be accessed by any authenticated user with subscriber or higher roles, which may include registered users, customers, or even compromised accounts. This could lead to leakage of sensitive or proprietary information, intellectual property, or customer data. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government that rely on WordPress for content management and use this plugin for access control are particularly at risk. The exposure could result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations due to unauthorized data access), and potential legal consequences. Since the vulnerability exploits REST API endpoints, automated scanning or scripted attacks could be used to enumerate and extract protected content at scale. The lack of a patch at the time of publication increases the window of exposure. However, the requirement for authenticated subscriber-level access somewhat limits the attack surface to users who have registered accounts, reducing risk from anonymous external attackers but increasing risk from insider threats or compromised user accounts.

European organizations should immediately assess whether they use the PPWP – Password Protect Pages plugin and identify the plugin version. If running a vulnerable version prior to 1.9.11, they should upgrade to the latest patched version as soon as it becomes available. Until a patch is applied, organizations should consider the following mitigations: 1) Restrict user registrations to trusted individuals only, minimizing the number of subscriber-level accounts. 2) Implement strong account monitoring and anomaly detection to identify suspicious subscriber account activity. 3) Disable or restrict REST API access for subscriber roles using custom code snippets or security plugins that control REST API permissions. 4) Review and limit the content protected by the plugin, avoiding storing highly sensitive data behind this mechanism until patched. 5) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious REST API requests that attempt to access protected content. 6) Educate site administrators and content managers about the vulnerability and the importance of timely updates. 7) Conduct regular audits of user roles and permissions to ensure least privilege principles are enforced. These targeted mitigations go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling REST API access and subscriber role management, which are key to limiting exploitation of this specific vulnerability.