CVE-2025-13390 — WP Directory Kit <= 1.4.4 - Authentication Bypass to Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover
The WP Directory Kit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.4 due to incorrect implementation of the authentication algorithm in the "wdk_generate_auto_login_link" function. This is due to the feature using a cryptographically weak token generation mechanism. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative access and achieve full site takeover via the auto-login endpoint with a predictable token.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Public exploit/PoC (nuclei)+4
- EPSS 4.6% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
- Technical severity (critical)+10
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — plugins.trac.wordpress.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Listingthemes WP Directory Kit, Wpdirectorykit Wp Directory Kit).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- EPSS ahead of 91% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listingthemes | WP Directory Kit | ≥ 1.4.0 and ≤ 1.4.4 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Wpdirectorykit | Wp Directory Kit | ≤ 1.4.4 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.0 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 6.0 | security@wordfence.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 10.0 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | Wordfence via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 4.56%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · listingthemes/wp directory kit
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 9.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-96653 WP Directory Kit <= 1.5.9 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) SQL Injection via 'display_name' Profile Field (Second-Order) 6d
- Medium CVE-2026-16596 WP Directory Kit <= 1.5.4 - Authenticated (Custom+) SQL Injection via 'data_fields_list' Parameter 16d
- Medium CVE-2026-16588 WP Directory Kit <= 1.5.4 - Authenticated (Custom+) SQL Injection via 'order_by' Parameter Sep 16, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-28001 WordPress WP Directory Kit plugin <= 1.5.4 - SQL Injection vulnerability Aug 13, 2026
- High CVE-2026-27538 WordPress WP Directory Kit plugin <= 1.5.4 - SQL Injection vulnerability Aug 13, 2026
- High CVE-2026-39534 WordPress WP Directory Kit plugin <= 1.5.0 - Broken Access Control vulnerability Jun 15, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2025-13390 is "WP Directory Kit <= 1.4.4 - Authentication Bypass to Privilege Escalation via Account Takeover", rated Critical. It affects WP Directory Kit (Listingthemes); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 4.56% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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