WordPress plugin
Custom API for WP <= 4.2.2 — Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation
CVE-2025-54049Published · Updated Action summary
Affected: ≤4.2.2Update to 4.2.3 or newer
All remediation steps- Severity
- High8.8
- CVSS
- 8.8CVSS 3.1 · CNA (Wordfence)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HWhat does this vector mean?
AV:NAttack vector- Network
AC:LAttack complexity- Low
PR:LPrivileges required- Low
UI:NUser interaction- None
S:UScope- Unchanged
C:HConfidentiality- High
I:HIntegrity- High
A:HAvailability- High
- Required access
- Unknown
- Exploit prediction (EPSS)
- No score
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
On this page8
Am I affected?
Custom API for WP custom-api-for-wp
- Affected≤ 4.2.2
- Patched in4.2.3
Update to 4.2.3 or newer.
You are affected if you run ≤ 4.2.2. Version 4.2.3 and later are not affected by this issue.
- Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under Custom API for WP.
- No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.
What to do
- Update to version 4.2.3, or a newer patched version
- Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
- Watch Custom API for WP to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.
Advisory
Source description from Wordfence Intelligence, credited to Hiro.
The Custom API for WP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.2. This is due to the plugin not properly restricting a users ability to set roles. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to elevate their privileges.
Exploits & references
Proof-of-concept & detection
No public proof-of-concept or detection template is known for this vulnerability.
Advisories & patches
- Advisorywordfence.com
Related CVEs
More in Custom API for WP
All 2| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| High7.5 | Unauthenticated SQL Injection ≤4.2.2Update to 4.2.3 | CVE-2025-54048 |
- High7.5Unauthenticated SQL Injection
≤4.2.2Update to 4.2.3
Timeline
CVE published
Severity high, CVSS 8.8
Record last updated
Sources & licenses
Wordfence record- Vulnerability data
- Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. Licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0.
- CVE® identifiers
- Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. Used under the CVE Program. CVE® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
- CVSS / CWE
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD), shown unmodified. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- VulnCrest content
- Summary, remediation guidance and page layout © VulnCrest. Not sourced from NVD.