CVE-2025-1279
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe BM Content Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the ux_cb_tools_import_item_ajax AJAX action in all versions up to, and including, 3.16.2.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This can be leveraged to update the default role for registration to administrator and enable user registration for attackers to gain administrative user access to a vulnerable site.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe BM Content Builder plugin for WordPress lacks a capability check on the ux_cb_tools_import_item_ajax AJAX action, allowing any authenticated user with Subscriber-level access or higher to invoke it. This enables attackers to modify arbitrary WordPress options, including changing the default user registration role to Administrator and enabling user registration, leading to full site compromise.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if BM Content Builder plugin is installedNavigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and look for 'BM Content Builder' in the list of installed plugins, or inspect the filesystem at wp-content/plugins/ for a directory containing 'bm-content-builder' or similarAffected if The plugin is installed and active
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Determine the installed version of BM Content BuilderIn WordPress admin > Plugins, find BM Content Builder and read the version number displayed beneath the plugin name, or check the plugin's main PHP file for a 'Version' header commentAffected if The version is lower than 3.16.2.2 (the fixed version)
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Verify the vulnerable AJAX endpoint is accessibleCheck if the file handling the AJAX action exists in the plugin directory - look for files containing 'ux_cb_tools_import_item_ajax' in the wp-content/plugins/bm-content-builder/ directoryAffected if The AJAX handler file exists in the plugin and the plugin is active
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Test for missing capability check on the AJAX actionUsing a low-privilege account (Subscriber role), attempt a POST request to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=ux_cb_tools_import_item_ajax and observe if the request is processed rather than rejectedAffected if The request is processed without a capability error (returns 200 instead of 403/401)
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Check WordPress options that could be modifiedReview WordPress options table (wp_options) for recent unauthorized changes, particularly 'default_role', 'users_can_register', or newly created administrator accountsAffected if Options have been changed or unauthorized admin accounts exist
A user is affected if the BM Content Builder plugin version is below 3.16.2.2 and the plugin is active, allowing any authenticated Subscriber-level user to modify site options via the unprotected AJAX action.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate the BM Content Builder plugin to version 3.16.2.2 or later which includes proper capability validation on the affected AJAX action.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-1279 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-1279 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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