# CVE-2025-5701: HyperComments <= 1.2.2 - Unauthenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary Options Update

- Exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-06-05
- CVSS: 8.8 HIGH (v3.1)
- EPSS: 2.2% (83th percentile)
- CWE: CWE-862

The HyperComments plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the hc_request_handler function in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.2. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This can be leveraged to update the default role for registration to administrator and enable user registration for attackers to gain administrative user access to a vulnerable site.

## Edge WAF coverage (claimed by vendors, not measured)

| Vendor | Status | First rule | Days after publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | No public claim | — | — |
| AWS | No public claim | — | — |
| Microsoft Azure | No public claim | — | — |
| Google Cloud | No public claim | — | — |
| Fastly | Before feed history | — | — |
| F5 | Rule published | 2026-01-20 | 229 |
| Akamai | No public source | — | — |
| OWASP CRS | No public claim | — | — |

### F5

- 2026-01-20 · new · rule 200013156
  > Added: signature 200013156 "WordPress HyperComments Plugin Privilege Escalation" (Authentication/Authorization Attacks, risk High), systems: PHP, WordPress. References: CVE-2025-5701.
  Source: https://docs.cloud.f5.com/docs-v2/platform/changelogs/security-details-changelog

## Our test (measured)

- OWASP Core Rule Set 4.25.0, paranoia level 1, anomaly threshold 5, default CRS settings: passed (0 of 2 requests blocked), template CVE-2025-5701, 2026-11-02
- OWASP Core Rule Set 4.25.0, paranoia level 2, anomaly threshold 5, default CRS settings: partial (1 of 2 requests blocked), template CVE-2025-5701, 2026-11-02

"No public claim" means no vendor statement names this CVE; "Before feed history" means the CVE is older than the vendor feed. In both cases generic rules may still block it.

HTML: https://cve.vigilbase.com/cve/CVE-2025-5701 · JSON: https://cve.vigilbase.com/api/v1/cves/CVE-2025-5701