CVE-2015-4038: The WP Membership plugin 1.2.3 for WordPress allows remote authenticated users to gain administrator privilege

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MEDIUM 6.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2015-4038 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.5) affecting wpmembership. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The WP Membership plugin 1.2.3 for WordPress allows remote authenticated users to gain administrator privileges via an iv_membership_update_user_settings action to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php.

Why this priority

EPSS top 5%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.5 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	8.3% (top 5%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-264
Published	2015-06-03
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: wpmembership

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2015-06-03 20:59 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 00:26 UTCUpdated Record last modified

wpmembership wpmembership DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.2.3

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.2.3

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy wpmembership || rpm -q wpmembership || wpmembership --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.2.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison wpmembership sudo apt install wpmembership=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.2.3> sudo apt-mark hold wpmembership

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list wpmembership sudo dnf downgrade wpmembership-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.2.3> sudo dnf versionlock add wpmembership

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: WordPress Plugin WP Membership 1.2.3 - Multiple Vulnerabilities

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2015-4038?

wpmembership: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2015-4038 being exploited?

CVE-2015-4038 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2015-4038 affect?

CVE-2015-4038 affects wpmembership. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.5). The WP Membership plugin 1.2.3 for WordPress allows remote authenticated users to gain administrator privileges via an iv_membership_update_user_settings action to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php.

How urgent is CVE-2015-4038?

Priority 51/100. EPSS top 5%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Software pages

WordPress vulnerabilities · PHP vulnerabilities

References

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