Critical Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in WordPress Motors Theme (CVE-2025-4322)

A critical privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2025-4322) has been identified in the premium WordPress Motors theme, allowing unauthenticated attackers to compromise administrator accounts and take full control of affected websites. The vulnerability affects versions 5.6.67 and earlier, with a patched version (5.6.68) released by StylemixThemes on May 14, 2025. According to Wordfence, approximately 22,000 WordPress installations are at risk¹.

Technical Analysis of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability stems from insufficient identity validation in the theme’s password recovery function (password-recovery.php). Attackers can bypass hash verification by injecting invalid UTF-8 characters into the hash_check parameter, enabling unauthorized password resets for any user, including administrators¹. This flaw has been assigned a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical) due to its network-based exploitability and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability³.

Wordfence researchers discovered the issue on May 2, 2025, and disclosed it on May 19 after coordination with the vendor. The GitHub Advisory notes this as CWE-620 (Unverified Password Change), though the EPSS score suggests low immediate exploitation likelihood (0.06%)².

Proof of Concept and Exploitation

While no public proof-of-concept exploit exists, the vulnerability’s mechanics have been documented. The attack vector requires no authentication and can be executed remotely. A simplified attack flow would involve:

1. Sending a crafted request to /wp-content/themes/motors/password-recovery.php
2. Manipulating the hash_check parameter with invalid UTF-8 sequences
3. Triggering a password reset for targeted accounts

Wordfence has deployed firewall rules for premium users, with free users scheduled to receive protection by June 5, 2025⁴.

Mitigation and Remediation

Affected users should immediately update to Motors theme version 5.6.68. Additional security measures include:

• Implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts
• Auditing user accounts for unauthorized changes
• Resetting all administrator passwords
• Monitoring for suspicious password reset requests

The vulnerability highlights the risks of using pirated themes, as noted by Artbees, since unauthorized copies often lack critical security updates⁵.

Impact and Relevance

With 22,000 potentially vulnerable installations, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations using the Motors theme. The ease of exploitation (no authentication required) and high impact (full site compromise) make this particularly dangerous for high-value targets.

Security teams should prioritize patching and monitor for indicators of compromise, particularly unexpected password reset emails or unauthorized administrative account activity. The vulnerability’s discovery follows increased scrutiny of WordPress theme security, with several high-profile vulnerabilities disclosed in 2025.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-4322 represents a severe threat to WordPress sites using the Motors theme. While no active exploitation has been observed, the vulnerability’s critical nature warrants immediate action. Organizations should update affected systems, implement additional authentication controls, and review their theme update processes to prevent similar issues.

References

1. Wordfence Advisory, “Motors ≤5.6.7 – Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation via Password Update/Account Takeover,” May 19, 2025.
2. GitHub Advisory, “GHSA-5xrp-299q-mxxj: Motors Theme Privilege Escalation Vulnerability,” May 2025.
3. NVD Entry, “CVE-2025-4322 Detail,” May 2025.
4. GBHackers Report, “Security Flaw in WordPress Plugin Puts 22,000 Websites at Risk,” May 15, 2025.
5. Artbees Blog, “The Dangers of Pirating Premium WordPress Themes,” 2024.