CVE-2025-10055: Time Sheets WordPress Plugin CSRF Flaw

CVE-2025-10055 Overview

CVE-2025-10055 affects the Time Sheets plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 2.1.3. The plugin fails to implement proper nonce validation on several endpoints, leaving it exposed to Cross-Site Request Forgery [CWE-352] attacks. Unauthenticated attackers can trigger unauthorized actions if they trick a site administrator into clicking a crafted link. The flaw requires user interaction but no privileges on the target site.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can perform administrative actions on affected WordPress sites by tricking an administrator into clicking a malicious link, leading to unauthorized state changes within the Time Sheets plugin.

Affected Products

Time Sheets plugin for WordPress — all versions up to and including 2.1.3
WordPress sites with the Time Sheets plugin active
Any administrator account interacting with attacker-controlled content while authenticated

Discovery Timeline

2025-12-05 - CVE-2025-10055 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-10055

Vulnerability Analysis

The Time Sheets plugin exposes several endpoints that modify server-side state without verifying a valid WordPress nonce. Nonces are the standard WordPress mechanism for confirming that a request originated from an authenticated user's own session. When these tokens are missing or improperly validated, the browser will attach the administrator's session cookies to any request the attacker forges. This turns any authenticated administrator into an unwitting proxy for attacker actions.

The attack requires user interaction, typically clicking a link or visiting an attacker-controlled page while logged into WordPress. The confidentiality impact is none, integrity impact is low, and availability impact is none, reflecting a scope limited to plugin-managed data rather than full site takeover. Attackers can automate exploitation through hidden forms, image tags, or JavaScript that submits requests on page load.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or incorrect nonce validation across multiple plugin endpoints. WordPress provides wp_verify_nonce() and check_admin_referer() helpers specifically to defend against CSRF, but the affected endpoints either omit these checks or apply them incorrectly. Without a valid nonce tied to the current user and action, the plugin cannot distinguish a legitimate administrator request from a forged one.

Attack Vector

An attacker crafts an HTML page containing a hidden form or automated request targeting a vulnerable Time Sheets endpoint. The attacker delivers the link through phishing email, social media, or a compromised website. When a logged-in WordPress administrator visits the page, the browser automatically submits the request with the administrator's session cookies attached. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and performs the requested action.

Since no realCodeExamples were verified for this CVE, refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for endpoint-level technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-10055

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to Time Sheets plugin data, settings, or entries with no corresponding administrator activity in audit logs
HTTP POST or GET requests to Time Sheets plugin endpoints where the Referer header points to an external, untrusted domain
Administrator sessions performing plugin actions immediately after visiting an external link or email

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for requests to Time Sheets plugin endpoints that lack a valid wp_nonce parameter
Correlate administrator browsing activity with plugin state changes to identify actions triggered from external referrers
Deploy a WordPress security plugin or web application firewall rule that flags cross-origin POST requests to /wp-admin/ targeting the Time Sheets plugin

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging to record all administrative actions and correlate them with request origins
Monitor for anomalous traffic patterns targeting /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific action handlers
Alert on administrator account activity originating from unusual referrers or occurring outside normal business hours

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-10055

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Time Sheets plugin to a version newer than 2.1.3 as soon as the vendor publishes a fix
Restrict administrator accounts from browsing untrusted sites or opening unverified links while logged into WordPress
Enforce short session lifetimes and require re-authentication for sensitive administrative actions

Patch Information

At the time of publication, review the WordPress Plugin Page for the latest release information and changelog entries addressing CVE-2025-10055. Administrators should apply the patched version immediately once available. Consult the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for remediation status.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the Time Sheets plugin until a patched version is installed
Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks state-changing requests to plugin endpoints missing a valid nonce parameter
Require administrators to use a dedicated browser profile for WordPress management, isolated from general web browsing and email

bash

# Example WAF rule concept: block cross-origin POST requests to WordPress admin lacking a nonce
# Adapt to your WAF syntax (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF, etc.)
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "@streq POST" \
  "chain,deny,status:403,msg:'Potential CSRF against WordPress plugin'"
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-admin/" "chain"
SecRule &ARGS:_wpnonce "@eq 0" "chain"
SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Referer "!@beginsWith https://your-wordpress-site.example/"