BuddyPress 5.0.0-7.2.0 - Privilege Escalation via REST API
BuddyPress is an open source WordPress plugin to build a community site. In releases of BuddyPress from 5.0.0 before 7.2.1 it's possible for a non-privileged, regular user to obtain administrator rights by exploiting an issue in the REST API members endpoint. The vulnerability has been fixed in BuddyPress 7.2.1. Existing installations of the plugin should be updated to this version to mitigate the issue.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composer package | buddypress/buddypress | >= 5.0.0, < 7.2.1 | 7.2.1 |
| WordPress plugin | BuddyPress | >= 5.0.0, <= 7.2.0 | 7.2.1 |
References
- https://github.com/buddypress/BuddyPress/security/advisories/GHSA-m6j4-8r7p-wpp3
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21389
- https://buddypress.org/2021/03/buddypress-7-2-1-security-release
- https://codex.buddypress.org/releases/version-7-2-1
- https://github.com/buddypress/BuddyPress
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/c3da10da-8de3-4547-abe4-202002728c80?source=api-prod
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-863- Platform
- Composer, WordPress
- Package
buddypress/buddypress, BuddyPress- Disclosed
- 16.03.2021
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-m6j4-8r7p-wpp3 - CC BY 4.0
Wordfence Intelligence - c3da10da-8de3-4547-abe4-202002728c80 - Wordfence Intelligence
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Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc.
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Vulnerability history: BuddyPress
All published vulnerabilities of this package (WordPress plugin), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 27
- First → latest
- 03.2012 09.2026
- Without a fix
- 1
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 3
- High 8
- Medium 16
Disclosures per year
- 2017: 0
- 2018: 0
- 2019: 1
- 2020: 2
- 2021: 10
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 3
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 4
earlier: 5
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