CVE-2025-25143 Overview
CVE-2025-25143 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability [CWE-352] in the ibasit GlobalQuran WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions of GlobalQuran up to and including 1.0. An attacker can trick an authenticated administrator into submitting a forged request that changes plugin settings without their consent. Exploitation requires user interaction, typically through a malicious link or crafted web page. The vulnerability was published to the National Vulnerability Database on February 7, 2025.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows unauthorized modification of GlobalQuran plugin settings on a WordPress site when an administrator visits an attacker-controlled page.
Affected Products
- ibasit GlobalQuran WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 1.0
- WordPress installations using the vulnerable plugin
- Sites where administrators can be lured to external URLs while authenticated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-07 - CVE-2025-25143 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-25143
Vulnerability Analysis
The GlobalQuran plugin exposes settings-change functionality without adequate CSRF protection. The plugin does not validate a WordPress nonce or verify request origin before applying configuration changes. An authenticated administrator visiting an attacker-controlled page can trigger a state-changing request against their own WordPress instance. The impact is limited to integrity of plugin settings, with no direct confidentiality or availability loss reported.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing anti-CSRF token validation on settings endpoints. WordPress provides the wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() APIs to bind sensitive actions to a user session, but the affected plugin version does not enforce these checks. Any authenticated session cookie is sufficient to authorize the request when it originates cross-site.
Attack Vector
Exploitation follows a standard CSRF pattern. An attacker crafts an HTML page containing a hidden form or image tag targeting the plugin's settings handler. When a logged-in WordPress administrator loads the page, the browser automatically attaches session cookies to the outbound request. The plugin processes the request as if it originated from the admin dashboard and updates configuration values chosen by the attacker. No credentials are exfiltrated, but plugin behavior can be altered to support follow-on attacks.
See the Patchstack Security Vulnerability Report for the technical write-up.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25143
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to GlobalQuran plugin configuration values in wp_options
- Administrator activity in web server logs showing POST requests to plugin endpoints with Referer headers from external domains
- WordPress audit log entries showing settings updates without a corresponding admin dashboard navigation event
Detection Strategies
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects requests to GlobalQuran administrative endpoints for missing or invalid nonce parameters
- Correlate WordPress admin-ajax.php and settings requests against the Referer and Origin headers to identify cross-origin submissions
- Enable a WordPress activity log plugin to capture settings changes with user, IP, and referer metadata
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on GlobalQuran option changes performed outside authorized maintenance windows
- Monitor administrator sessions for concurrent browsing of external sites and WordPress admin URLs
- Track HTTP POST volume to plugin routes and flag spikes from single administrator accounts
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25143
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the GlobalQuran plugin until a patched version is released and verified
- Force logout of all WordPress administrator sessions and require re-authentication
- Audit wp_options and plugin-specific configuration tables for unauthorized modifications
- Restrict WordPress admin access by IP allowlist where operationally feasible
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no fixed version beyond 1.0 is listed in the referenced advisory. Monitor the Patchstack Security Vulnerability Report and the WordPress plugin repository for an updated release that adds nonce validation to settings handlers.
Workarounds
- Remove the GlobalQuran plugin from production sites until a fix is available
- Configure the WordPress admin area behind an authenticated reverse proxy or VPN to reduce cross-site exposure
- Instruct administrators to use a dedicated browser profile for WordPress management with no concurrent browsing
- Deploy a WAF ruleset that blocks state-changing requests to /wp-admin/ paths lacking a same-origin Referer header
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
