CVE-2025-27328: WP-PostRatings Cheater CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27328 Overview

CVE-2025-27328 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WP-PostRatings Cheater WordPress plugin by queeez. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.5. An attacker can trick an authenticated user into submitting a forged request that performs unintended actions within the plugin's context. Exploitation requires user interaction, typically by luring a logged-in administrator to a malicious page. The weakness is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows attackers to perform unauthorized state-changing actions on behalf of an authenticated WordPress user, resulting in limited integrity impact on affected sites.

Affected Products

queeez WP-PostRatings Cheater plugin for WordPress
All versions from initial release through 1.5
WordPress sites with the plugin installed and active

Discovery Timeline

2025-02-24 - CVE-2025-27328 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27328

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability results from the plugin's failure to validate the origin of state-changing HTTP requests. WordPress provides nonce-based CSRF protection through the wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() functions, but the affected plugin endpoints do not enforce these checks. An attacker who crafts a malicious page or email can cause a victim's browser to submit authenticated requests to the target WordPress site. The CVSS vector indicates the attack occurs over the network without prior privileges but requires user interaction. Impact is limited to integrity, with no direct confidentiality or availability consequences. According to EPSS data from 2026-07-14, exploitation probability remains low in the near term.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or improperly implemented anti-CSRF token validation on sensitive plugin actions. Without verifying a nonce tied to the user session, the plugin accepts any request bearing valid authentication cookies. Browsers automatically attach these cookies to cross-origin requests, enabling forged submissions.

Attack Vector

An attacker hosts a page containing a hidden form or JavaScript that targets a vulnerable plugin endpoint on the victim's WordPress site. The attacker delivers the link through phishing, forum posts, or malicious advertising. When a logged-in WordPress user visits the page, their browser submits the forged request using session cookies. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and executes the requested action. No exploit is publicly available at time of publication.

Detailed request patterns and proof-of-concept information are documented in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27328

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to WP-PostRatings Cheater plugin data or settings without corresponding administrator activity in audit logs
HTTP POST requests to plugin endpoints originating from external Referer headers
Log entries showing plugin actions immediately following user navigation to unfamiliar external URLs

Detection Strategies

Review web server access logs for requests to plugin-specific PHP endpoints lacking a matching WordPress admin Referer
Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to correlate administrative actions with session context
Inspect browser history and email gateways for suspicious links delivered to WordPress administrators

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on POST requests to WP-PostRatings Cheater endpoints missing or containing invalid nonce parameters
Monitor for anomalous outbound referrers preceding sensitive WordPress plugin actions
Track administrator account activity patterns for deviations from established baselines

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27328

Immediate Actions Required

Deactivate and remove the WP-PostRatings Cheater plugin until a patched version is available
Restrict WordPress administrator sessions to dedicated browsers or profiles isolated from general web browsing
Educate administrators on phishing and CSRF risks, emphasizing not clicking untrusted links while logged into WordPress

Patch Information

No fixed version is listed in the CVE record. The vulnerability affects all releases through 1.5. Monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin repository for a security update.

Workarounds

Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block requests to plugin endpoints lacking a valid same-origin Referer header
Enforce SameSite=Strict or SameSite=Lax cookie attributes on WordPress session cookies to reduce cross-site request risk
Limit administrator login sessions to short durations and require re-authentication for sensitive actions

bash

# Example nginx rule to block cross-origin POSTs to the plugin path
location ~* /wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings-cheater/ {
    if ($request_method = POST) {
        if ($http_referer !~* "^https?://your-wordpress-domain\.com/") {
            return 403;
        }
    }
}