CVE-2025-23902: Error Notification CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-23902 Overview

CVE-2025-23902 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Error Notification WordPress plugin developed by Taras Dashkevych. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. The flaw exists due to insufficient CSRF token validation in the plugin's administrative functions.

Critical Impact

This CSRF vulnerability can be chained with stored XSS, allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated administrator sessions, potentially leading to complete site compromise.

Affected Products

• Error Notification WordPress Plugin version 0.2.7 and earlier
• WordPress installations with Error Notification plugin enabled
• All WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the error-notification plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-01-16 - CVE-2025-23902 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-23902

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery). The Error Notification plugin fails to properly validate CSRF tokens when processing administrative requests. This security oversight allows an attacker to craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, perform unintended actions within the plugin's settings.

The attack chain is particularly concerning because it can lead to stored XSS. When an administrator unknowingly submits a forged request, the attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code into plugin settings. This script then executes whenever any user accesses the affected administrative pages, creating a persistent attack vector.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from missing or improper implementation of CSRF protection mechanisms in the Error Notification plugin's form handling. WordPress provides built-in nonce verification functions (wp_nonce_field() and wp_verify_nonce()) that should be used to validate requests originate from legitimate sources. The absence of these security checks allows attackers to forge requests on behalf of authenticated users.

Attack Vector

The attack requires social engineering to trick an authenticated WordPress administrator into clicking a malicious link or visiting a crafted webpage. The attacker creates an HTML page containing a hidden form that automatically submits a request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. When the administrator's browser loads this page, the forged request is sent with the administrator's session cookies, bypassing authentication.

The vulnerability mechanism involves crafting a malicious HTML page that targets the plugin's settings endpoint. When an authenticated administrator visits this page, their browser automatically submits a forged request containing attacker-controlled payload data. This payload can include JavaScript code that gets stored in the plugin's configuration, establishing a persistent XSS attack. For detailed technical information, see the Patchstack Security Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23902

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected changes to Error Notification plugin settings without administrator action
• Presence of JavaScript code or suspicious HTML tags in plugin configuration fields
• Unusual administrative activity logs showing settings changes at odd times
• Reports of pop-ups, redirects, or other XSS indicators when accessing plugin pages

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress audit logs for unauthorized plugin settings modifications
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block inline script execution
• Review Error Notification plugin configuration for unexpected or malicious content
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect CSRF attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for all WordPress administrative actions
• Set up alerts for any modifications to plugin settings outside of maintenance windows
• Regularly audit plugin configurations for injected scripts or suspicious content
• Monitor network traffic for suspicious outbound connections from WordPress admin pages

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23902

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately deactivate and remove the Error Notification plugin if not critical to operations
• Review plugin settings for any unauthorized changes or injected scripts
• Clear any suspicious content from the plugin's configuration
• Educate administrators about phishing and CSRF attack vectors
• Implement additional browser-based CSRF protections such as SameSite cookie attributes

Patch Information

No official patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Users should monitor the Patchstack Security Vulnerability Report for updates on vendor response and patches. Consider using alternative error notification solutions until a fix is released.

Workarounds

• Disable the Error Notification plugin until an official patch is available
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with CSRF protection rules
• Use browser extensions that enforce strict referrer policies for administrators
• Restrict administrative access to trusted IP addresses only
• Consider using WordPress security plugins that provide additional CSRF protection layers

# WordPress CLI command to deactivate the vulnerable plugin
wp plugin deactivate error-notification

# Verify plugin status
wp plugin status error-notification

# Check for any scheduled events related to the plugin
wp cron event list | grep error-notification