CVE-2025-14173: Perfit WooCommerce Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-14173 Overview

The Perfit WooCommerce plugin for WordPress contains a Missing Authorization vulnerability affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.1. This security flaw exists due to missing authorization checks on the logout function, which is called via the actions function hooked to admin_init. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary plugin settings through the action parameter, potentially disrupting the functionality of WooCommerce integrations and e-commerce operations.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can delete arbitrary plugin settings, potentially disrupting e-commerce operations and compromising site integrity without any authentication requirements.

Affected Products

• Perfit WooCommerce plugin for WordPress versions up to and including 1.0.1
• WordPress sites utilizing the Perfit WooCommerce integration
• WooCommerce installations with the Perfit plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

• January 14, 2026 - CVE-2025-14173 published to NVD
• January 14, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-14173

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), a common weakness in WordPress plugins where critical functions lack proper capability checks. The vulnerable code resides in the class-wcp-settings-tab.php file, specifically around line 102 where the logout function is exposed without verifying user permissions.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network and requires no user interaction or prior authentication. When exploited, an attacker can manipulate or delete plugin configuration settings, though the vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data or provide complete system control.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-14173 is the absence of authorization checks within the logout function that is hooked to WordPress's admin_init action. In WordPress plugin development, any function hooked to admin_init can potentially be triggered by both authenticated and unauthenticated users if the action is exposed via URL parameters. The developers failed to implement current_user_can() checks or nonce verification before executing the settings deletion logic.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no privileges and no user interaction. An attacker can craft a malicious HTTP request targeting the vulnerable action parameter exposed through the admin_init hook. By sending a specially crafted request to a WordPress site running the vulnerable plugin, an attacker can trigger the logout function and delete plugin settings without any authentication.

The vulnerability is triggered through the admin_init WordPress action hook, which processes the action parameter from incoming requests. When the logout action is specified, the vulnerable function executes without verifying that the requesting user has administrative privileges or that the request includes a valid nonce token.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14173

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modification or deletion of Perfit WooCommerce plugin settings
• HTTP requests to WordPress admin endpoints containing action=logout or similar parameters targeting the Perfit plugin
• Web server logs showing repeated unauthenticated requests to /wp-admin/admin.php or admin-ajax.php with suspicious action parameters
• Sudden WooCommerce integration failures or Perfit plugin configuration resets

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application firewall logs for unauthenticated requests to WordPress admin endpoints with action parameters
• Implement WordPress security plugins that detect unauthorized settings changes
• Review Apache/Nginx access logs for patterns indicating exploitation attempts against the admin_init hook
• Configure file integrity monitoring on WordPress plugin configuration files

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress audit logging to track all plugin settings modifications
• Set up alerts for any changes to the Perfit WooCommerce plugin configuration database options
• Monitor for anomalous HTTP POST/GET requests to WordPress admin endpoints from unauthenticated sources
• Implement rate limiting on admin endpoints to detect and prevent automated exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14173

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Perfit WooCommerce plugin to the latest version that includes the security fix
• Temporarily disable the Perfit WooCommerce plugin if an update is not available
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block unauthenticated requests with suspicious action parameters
• Review and restore any plugin settings that may have been maliciously deleted

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the official WordPress plugin repository for an updated version of Perfit WooCommerce that addresses this authorization bypass vulnerability. The vulnerable code is located in includes/class-wcp-settings-tab.php at line 102, as documented in the WordPress Plugin Source File. Additional technical details are available in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Disable the Perfit WooCommerce plugin until a patched version is available
• Implement custom access controls at the web server level to restrict access to WordPress admin endpoints
• Use a security plugin like Wordfence to add capability checks and nonce verification at the application layer
• Configure .htaccess or Nginx rules to block unauthenticated requests containing the vulnerable action parameter

# Example .htaccess rule to restrict admin endpoint access
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=logout [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} wp-admin [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>