CVE-2025-22773: Htaccess File Editor Info Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-22773 Overview

CVE-2025-22773 is a broken access control vulnerability in the WP Chill Htaccess File Editor plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of the htaccess-file-editor plugin up to and including 1.0.19. Improperly configured access control security levels allow unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive information stored in externally-accessible files or directories. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-538: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Externally-Accessible File or Directory. Because the plugin manages .htaccess files, exposure of its contents can reveal server configuration data useful for follow-on attacks.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can retrieve sensitive .htaccess configuration data from affected WordPress sites, exposing server rules and access control policies.

Affected Products

WP Chill Htaccess File Editor plugin for WordPress
Plugin versions from n/a through 1.0.19 (inclusive)
WordPress sites with the htaccess-file-editor plugin installed and activated

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-15 - CVE-2025-22773 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-22773

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from broken authentication and incorrectly configured access control within the Htaccess File Editor plugin. The plugin exposes functionality intended for administrative use without enforcing proper authentication or capability checks. As a result, remote unauthenticated actors can reach endpoints that reveal contents of, or metadata about, the .htaccess file managed by the plugin.

The attack requires no privileges and no user interaction. It is exploitable over the network against any WordPress site running an affected plugin version. The impact is limited to confidentiality; integrity and availability are not directly affected according to the published CVSS vector.

The EPSS score for this issue is 0.344%, placing it in the 26th percentile for likelihood of exploitation activity.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence, or misconfiguration, of authorization checks on plugin routes that handle .htaccess data. The plugin fails to validate the current user's capability (for example, manage_options) or to verify a valid nonce before returning file contents. This maps directly to CWE-538, where sensitive information is placed in a location reachable by unauthenticated clients.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the exposed plugin endpoint on a vulnerable WordPress site. Because access control is missing or incorrectly enforced, the server returns sensitive configuration data. The disclosed .htaccess content can reveal rewrite rules, IP allowlists, authentication directives, hidden paths, and other server-side policies. Attackers can chain this information with other vulnerabilities to bypass restrictions or target additional components. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for further technical details.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. The vulnerability mechanism is described in prose based on the vendor advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-22773

Indicators of Compromise

Unauthenticated HTTP requests to WordPress endpoints associated with the htaccess-file-editor plugin path under /wp-content/plugins/htaccess-file-editor/.
Responses returning .htaccess directive content (for example, RewriteRule, AuthType, Require) to clients without an authenticated session cookie.
Access log entries showing repeated GET or POST requests to plugin admin-ajax or REST routes from a single external IP.

Detection Strategies

Inventory all WordPress installations and identify sites running the Htaccess File Editor plugin at version 1.0.19 or earlier.
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag unauthenticated access attempts to plugin-specific endpoints.
Correlate WordPress access logs with authentication events to identify sensitive responses returned to sessions lacking a valid wordpress_logged_in_* cookie.

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on outbound responses containing .htaccess directive keywords served to unauthenticated clients.
Track anomalous request volume against /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin REST namespaces from single sources.
Monitor for subsequent probing of paths or rules that were disclosed in earlier .htaccess responses.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-22773

Immediate Actions Required

Identify affected WordPress hosts and confirm the installed version of the htaccess-file-editor plugin.
Deactivate and remove the plugin on any site where an updated, patched version is not yet available.
Restrict access to the WordPress admin area by IP allowlist at the web server or WAF layer until remediation is complete.
Rotate any credentials or secrets that may have been exposed through disclosed .htaccess content.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the vendor advisory listed on Patchstack covers versions through 1.0.19. Site administrators should upgrade to a fixed release once published by WP Chill, or migrate to an alternative maintained plugin if no patched version is available.

Workarounds

Disable the Htaccess File Editor plugin and manage .htaccess files directly through secured server access such as SSH or SFTP.
Add server-level authentication (for example, HTTP basic auth) in front of /wp-admin/ and plugin endpoints to block unauthenticated access.
Configure the web server to deny direct HTTP access to plugin PHP files that do not require public reachability.

bash

# Example: block direct external access to the plugin directory via Apache .htaccess
<Directory "/var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/htaccess-file-editor">
    Require all denied
</Directory>

# Example: restrict wp-admin to a trusted IP range
<Location "/wp-admin">
    Require ip 203.0.113.0/24
</Location>