HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-4360
HIGH

CVE-2021-4360

CWE-284Published: June 7, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The Controlled Admin Access plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to, and including, 1.5.5 by not properly restricting access to the configuration page. This makes it possible for attackers to create a new administrator role with unrestricted access.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-4360 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

wpruby1 product(s)
controlled admin access
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8c57211a-f59d-4379-b09e-7c6049a6b04d?source=cve
ADVISORYhttps://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8c57211a-f59d-4379-b09e-7c6049a6b04d?source=cve

All References (8)

→
https://blog.nintechnet.com/vulnerabilities-fixed-in-wordpress-controlled-admin-access-plugin/Exploit
→
https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/controlled-admin-access/trunk/readme.txtRelease Notes
→
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/5ddc0a9d-c081-4bef-aa87-3b10d037379cExploit
→
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8c57211a-f59d-4379-b09e-7c6049a6b04d?source=cveThird Party Advisory
→
https://blog.nintechnet.com/vulnerabilities-fixed-in-wordpress-controlled-admin-access-plugin/Exploit
→
https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/controlled-admin-access/trunk/readme.txtRelease Notes
→
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/5ddc0a9d-c081-4bef-aa87-3b10d037379cExploit
→
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8c57211a-f59d-4379-b09e-7c6049a6b04d?source=cveThird Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-4360
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-284
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 7, 2023

Related CVEs (CWE-284)

CVE-2025-54339
10.0
CVE-2021-38454
10.0
CVE-2017-7928
10.0
CVE-2018-13816
10.0
CVE-2015-5053
10.0
CVE-2026-30966
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-4360 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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