CVE-2021-34621Known exploitationNetwork attack vector

Unauthenticated admin registration via unchecked user meta

Published Jul 7, 2021 · Updated Oct 15, 2024

ProfilePress 3.0.0 through 3.1.3 allows remote attackers to register as administrators through its user registration component. RegistrationAuth.php accepts arbitrary custom user metadata and writes each key with update_user_meta, including wp_capabilities, without authorization checks. The registration path also ignores the site-wide registration setting, so unauthenticated attackers can create administrator accounts and potentially take over the WordPress site.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability68.86%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

ProfilePress 3.0.0 through 3.1.3 allows remote attackers to register as administrators through its user registration component. RegistrationAuth.php accepts arbitrary custom user metadata and writes each key with update_user_meta, including wp_capabilities, without authorization checks. The registration path also ignores the site-wide registration setting, so unauthenticated attackers can create administrator accounts and potentially take over the WordPress site.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-34621
Published
Jul 7, 2021
Updated
Oct 15, 2024
Vendor
ProfilePress Membership Team
Product
ProfilePress
Classifications
CWE-269, T1098
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 7, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 15, 2024Record 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.0.0 <=3.1.3
  2. Affected versionversion=3.0.0 - 3.1.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

ProfilePress Membership Team · ProfilePressversion=3.0.0 <=3.1.3; version=3.0.0 - 3.1.3

Published CVSS scores

9.8WordfenceCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1098Account Manipulation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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