Administrator account creation via unprotected settings import
Published Jun 7, 2023 · Updated Apr 8, 2026
Authorization bypass in Easy WP SMTP 1.3.9 and earlier allows remote attackers to create administrator accounts through arbitrary option updates. The admin_init import handler accepts an uploaded serialized option list without a capability check and writes attacker-selected values to wp_options. No authentication or user interaction is required; changing users_can_register and default_role lets a newly registered account receive administrator privileges.
Summary
What happened
Authorization bypass in Easy WP SMTP 1.3.9 and earlier allows remote attackers to create administrator accounts through arbitrary option updates. The admin_init import handler accepts an uploaded serialized option list without a capability check and writes attacker-selected values to wp_options. No authentication or user interaction is required; changing users_can_register and default_role lets a newly registered account receive administrator privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2019-25141
- Published
- Jun 7, 2023
- Updated
- Apr 8, 2026
- Vendor
- Michael Tran
- Product
- Easy WP SMTP
- Classifications
- CWE-862, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 15, 2019Exploitation reportedMarch 2019 Easy WP SMTP exploitation campaign
- Jun 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 8, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <1.3.9.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- NinTechNet settings-import proof of conceptproof of concept · observed in use
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- March 2019 Easy WP SMTP exploitation campaignreported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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