Subscriber-to-Administrator escalation via unrestricted option update
Published Dec 18, 2025 · Updated Dec 18, 2025
Privilege escalation in PenciDesign Soledad 8.6.9 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to create Administrator accounts. The penci_update_option AJAX handler validates a broadly available nonce but passes an attacker-selected global option to update_option without checking capabilities or restricting option names. Subscriber-level access exposes the nonce, enabling users_can_register and default_role changes that permit a new Administrator account and full site takeover.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in PenciDesign Soledad 8.6.9 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to create Administrator accounts. The penci_update_option AJAX handler validates a broadly available nonce but passes an attacker-selected global option to update_option without checking capabilities or restricting option names. Subscriber-level access exposes the nonce, enabling users_can_register and default_role changes that permit a new Administrator account and full site takeover.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-64188
- Published
- Dec 18, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 18, 2025
- Vendor
- PenciDesign
- Product
- Soledad
- Classifications
- CWE-266, CAPEC-233, T1068
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 18, 2025Record 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=n/a <=<= 8.6.9 changes=[{"at":"8.6.9.1","status":"unaffected"}]
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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