CVE-2025-15510: NEX-Forms WordPress Information Disclosure

CVE-2025-15510 Overview

CVE-2025-15510 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability exists due to a missing capability check on the NF5_Export_Forms class constructor in all versions up to and including 9.1.8. This flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to export form configurations which may contain sensitive data, including email addresses, PayPal API credentials, and third-party integration keys by enumerating the nex_forms_Id parameter.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exfiltrate sensitive form configuration data including payment credentials and API keys without any authentication requirements.

Affected Products

• NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress versions up to and including 9.1.8
• WordPress installations using the vulnerable NEX-Forms plugin
• Sites with form configurations containing sensitive integration credentials

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-31 - CVE-2025-15510 published to NVD
• 2026-02-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-15510

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under the Missing Authorization category (CWE-862), where the application fails to perform access control checks before processing sensitive operations. The NF5_Export_Forms class constructor within the NEX-Forms plugin does not verify whether the requesting user has appropriate capabilities to access form export functionality.

When an attacker makes requests to the export functionality, the plugin processes these requests without validating authentication status or user permissions. This architectural flaw allows anyone with network access to enumerate form IDs and retrieve their complete configuration data. The exposed information can include payment gateway credentials, email addresses collected through forms, and API keys for third-party integrations—all of which represent high-value targets for malicious actors.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-15510 lies in the absence of proper WordPress capability checks within the NF5_Export_Forms class constructor located at includes/classes/class.export.php. WordPress provides built-in functions such as current_user_can() to verify user permissions before executing privileged operations. The vulnerable code path fails to implement these checks, allowing the export operation to proceed regardless of the requester's authentication state.

The vulnerability is particularly problematic because form export functionality typically requires administrative access. By bypassing this requirement, the plugin exposes sensitive configuration data that site administrators would reasonably expect to be protected.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires no authentication, user interaction, or special privileges. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Identifying WordPress sites running the NEX-Forms plugin through fingerprinting techniques
2. Crafting HTTP requests to the export functionality endpoint
3. Enumerating the nex_forms_Id parameter to discover valid form IDs
4. Extracting form configuration data including credentials and API keys

The attack can be automated to systematically extract all form configurations from a target site. Since no authentication is required, the attacker can operate completely anonymously. Successful exploitation results in the disclosure of potentially sensitive configuration data that could be leveraged for further attacks against integrated services.

For technical details about the vulnerable code path, refer to the WordPress Plugin Export Class.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-15510

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests targeting NEX-Forms export endpoints with sequential or enumerated nex_forms_Id values
• Increased volume of requests to plugin-specific endpoints from external IP addresses
• Web server access logs showing unauthenticated access to form export functionality
• Anomalous data exfiltration patterns involving WordPress admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific URLs

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application logs for requests containing export-related parameters targeting the NEX-Forms plugin
• Implement rate limiting and anomaly detection for requests to WordPress plugin endpoints
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect parameter enumeration attempts on form IDs
• Review access logs for patterns of sequential ID enumeration targeting NEX-Forms functionality

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for WordPress admin-ajax.php requests and plugin-specific endpoints
• Configure alerting for unauthenticated access attempts to administrative plugin functions
• Implement monitoring for sensitive data exposure in outbound traffic patterns
• Regularly audit form configurations to identify any unauthorized access to sensitive credentials

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-15510

Immediate Actions Required

• Update NEX-Forms plugin to a version newer than 9.1.8 that includes the security fix
• Review and rotate any credentials (PayPal API, email service providers, third-party integrations) stored in form configurations
• Audit access logs to determine if the vulnerability has been exploited prior to patching
• Consider temporarily disabling the NEX-Forms plugin until the update can be applied

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects NEX-Forms plugin versions up to and including 9.1.8. Site administrators should update to the latest available version of the plugin that addresses this missing capability check issue. The fix involves implementing proper WordPress capability checks in the NF5_Export_Forms class constructor to ensure only authorized users can access the export functionality.

For additional details, refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to WordPress admin-ajax.php at the web server level for unauthenticated users if feasible
• Implement additional access controls via security plugins to limit plugin functionality exposure
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block suspicious requests targeting export endpoints
• Remove sensitive credentials from form configurations and manage them through more secure mechanisms

# Example Apache configuration to restrict access to admin-ajax.php
# Add to .htaccess file in WordPress root directory
<Files admin-ajax.php>
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    # Allow only authenticated admin access via specific IP if needed
    # Allow from 192.168.1.100
</Files>