CVE-2025-8574: Database Cleaner missing authorization check vulnerability
high 8.7 published 2026-10-30
- Affected versions
- 1.4.7 and older
- Fixed in
- 1.4.8 *
- Latest version
- 1.4.8
- Severity
- High · CVSS 8.7
- Active installs
- 10,000+
- Type
- Missing authorization check
* The source does not name a fixed version; this is the first wordpress.org release after the last affected version.
What an attacker needs
- Access: An administrator account (or a hijacked admin session).
CVSS vector (score by Wordfence): CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
What to do now
- Update Database Cleaner to 1.4.8 or newer: Dashboard → Updates, or Plugins → “update now”.
- If you cannot update right away, deactivate it until you can.
- Turn on auto-updates for it: Plugins → “Enable auto-updates” on its row.
- Not sure which version you run? Check your version against every known Database Cleaner issue.
With WP-CLI:
wp plugin get database-cleaner --field=version. - If you ran an affected version and something looks off (new admin users, spam pages, redirects), run the free scan below.
The advisory
The Database Cleaner plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary table deletion in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.7. This is due to a lack of restriction on database tables that can be deleted. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to delete core WordPress tables.
References
- NVD CVE-2025-8574 nvd.nist.gov
- Wordfence advisory www.wordfence.com
- Code change (fix) plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- Plugin source plugins.trac.wordpress.org
Related
Ran an affected version? Check your site for signs of a hack
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Where this data comes from
- CVE record, score and references: NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD), checked 2026-11-04. This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- Versions and install counts: wordpress.org/plugins/database-cleaner (Plugins API), fetched 2026-11-04.
- The summary, “what an attacker needs” and “what to do” sections are our plain-English reading of the record and the plugin's release history; the quoted description is the record's own text. Spot an error? Email Daniel.