Membership Plugin – Restrict Content <= 3.2.20 — Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via 'rcp_level'

Am I affected?

• Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under Membership Plugin – Kadence Memberships.
• No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.
• No account is needed to exploit this. Treat any exposed site on an affected version as at risk.

What to do

1. Update to version 3.2.21, or a newer patched version
2. Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
3. Watch Membership Plugin – Kadence Memberships to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.

Advisory

Source description from Wordfence Intelligence, credited to shark3y.

The Membership Plugin – Restrict Content plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.2.20. This is due to the `rcp_setup_registration_init()` function accepting any membership level ID via the `rcp_level` POST parameter without validating that the level is active or that payment is required. Combined with the `add_user_role()` method which assigns the WordPress role configured on the membership level without status checks, this makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to register with any membership level, including inactive levels that grant privileged WordPress roles such as Administrator, or paid levels that charge a sign-up fee. The vulnerability was partially patched in version 3.2.18.

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. Mar 4, 2026

   CVE published

   Severity high, CVSS 8.1

2. Nov 13, 2026

   Record last updated