# CVE-2025-13390: WP Directory Kit - Authentication Bypass

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2025-13390 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2025-13390

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 10.0
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** Listingthemes WP Directory Kit
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-303 (Incorrect Implementation of Authentication Algorithm)
- **Tags:** wordpress, cms

## Description

The WP Directory Kit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.4 due to incorrect implementation of the authentication algorithm in the "wdk_generate_auto_login_link" function. This is due to the feature using a cryptographically weak token generation mechanism. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative access and achieve full site takeover via the auto-login endpoint with a predictable token.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2025-13390](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2025-13390) is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in the WP Directory Kit plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.4.4. Due to a weak token generation mechanism in the auto-login feature, unauthenticated attackers can predict tokens and gain administrative access, potentially leading to full site takeover. This flaw exposes WordPress sites to severe risks, including data theft, defacement, and complete loss of control.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 6th of May 2026.

Data from the CrowdSec community indicates that exploitation of CVE-2025-13390 is highly selective and intelligence-driven. Threat actors use advanced reconnaissance and carefully choose their targets, often as part of sophisticated campaigns or advanced persistent threat operations.
Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2025-13390 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2025-13390 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Attackers exploit the auto-login functionality by sending requests to URLs with parameters like `/?auto-login=1&user_id=1&token=c4ca4238a0`, allowing authentication bypass and administrative access on vulnerable WP Directory Kit installations.

## Timeline

- 2025-12-03: CVE Published. CVE-2025-13390 is published to NVD.
- 2026-05-06: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2025-13390 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2026-05-20: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2025-13390 for the first time.

## References

- https://github.com/d0n601/CVE-2025-13390
- https://ryankozak.com/posts/cve-2025-13390/
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2025/CVE-2025-13390.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2025-13390) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2025-13390. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.