Import and export users and customers <= 2.5.11 — Authenticated (Custom+) Privilege Escalation via Non-Atomic Cron Settings Save

Am I affected?

• Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under Import and export users and customers.
• No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.

What to do

1. Update to version 2.5.12, or a newer patched version
2. Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
3. Watch Import and export users and customers to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.

Advisory

Source description from Wordfence Intelligence, credited to Abdul Halim.

The Import and export users and customers plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.11 This is due to a non-atomic multi-option write sequence in the `ACUI_Cron::save_settings()` function, which persists `acui_cron_activated`, `acui_cron_configured_by`, `acui_cron_user_id`, and `acui_cron_path_to_file` before reaching the authorization gate that calls `wp_die()` when a non-promoter submits a role. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers holding a custom delegated role with `create_users` but without `promote_users` or `edit_users` to escalate their privileges to Administrator, provided a prior administrator cron-tab save exists and no successful save intervenes before the next unattended cron tick processes the attacker's repointed CSV file.

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

Timeline

1. Nov 3, 2026

   CVE published

   Severity high, CVSS 8.8

2. Nov 13, 2026

   Record last updated