dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2025-9539

HIGH · 8.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable

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 · unedited
The AutomatorWP – Automator plugin for no-code automations, webhooks & custom integrations in WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the automatorwp_ajax_import_automation_from_url function in all versions up to, and including, 5.3.6. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to create arbitrary automations, which can lead to Remote Code Execution or Privilege escalation once such automation is activated by the administrator

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 confidence

The AutomatorWP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to broken access control. The AJAX function automatorwp_ajax_import_automation_from_url lacks capability verification, allowing any authenticated user with Subscriber-level access to import and create arbitrary automations from external URLs. Since automations can execute PHP code or webhook actions, an attacker can achieve RCE or privilege escalation once the administrator activates the malicious automation.

MitigationUpdate to version 5.3.7 or later which includes proper capability checks. Until patched, disable or restrict the affected AJAX endpoint via server-side configuration or a WAF rule.

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify AutomatorWP plugin installation
    Log into WordPress admin and navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins, or check for the /wp-content/plugins/automatorwp/ directory on the server
    Affected if The AutomatorWP plugin is not installed on the WordPress site
  2. Check installed AutomatorWP version
    In WordPress admin, find AutomatorWP in the plugins list and read the version number under the plugin name, or open the main plugin file (automatorwp.php) and locate the Version header
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 5.3.7 (versions 5.3.6 and below are vulnerable)
  3. Confirm AJAX endpoint exposure
    Send a test request to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=automatorwp_ajax_import_automation_from_url or check the plugin source for registered AJAX hooks
    Affected if The AJAX action is registered and responds to requests (any authenticated user can access it)
  4. Audit user roles with Subscriber access
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and review which users have the Subscriber role, or query the wp_usermeta table for subscriber-level capabilities
    Affected if Any user account with Subscriber role or higher privilege exists on the site

The site is affected if AutomatorWP version is below 5.3.7 and at least one authenticated user with Subscriber-level access can access the vulnerable AJAX endpoint.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update to version 5.3.7 or later which includes proper capability checks. Until patched, disable or restrict the affected AJAX endpoint via server-side configuration or a WAF rule.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Any version higher than 5.3.6 (check wordpress.org for latest stable release)

  1. Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Find AutomatorWP plugin in the list
  4. Check the current version number to confirm it is 5.3.6 or lower
  5. If vulnerable, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version, or manually download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins/automatorwp and upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  6. After updating, verify the new version is installed

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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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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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-9539 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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