CVE-2025-28962: Advanced Google Universal Analytics Auth Bypass

CVE-2025-28962 is an authorization bypass flaw in the Advanced Google Universal Analytics WordPress plugin that enables unauthorized access through misconfigured security controls. This article covers technical analysis, affected versions through 1.0.3, security impact, and recommended mitigation strategies.

CVE-2025-28962 Overview

CVE-2025-28962 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the stefanoai Advanced Google Universal Analytics WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.3. Authenticated attackers with low-privileged accounts can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks to reach sensitive plugin functionality intended for higher-privileged roles. The weakness is categorized under CWE-862: Missing Authorization. The vulnerability was published to the National Vulnerability Database on August 14, 2025.

Critical Impact
Authenticated users with minimal privileges can access sensitive analytics data and configuration exposed by the plugin due to broken access control checks.

Affected Products

stefanoai Advanced Google Universal Analytics WordPress plugin
All versions from initial release through 1.0.3
WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin with multiple user roles

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-14 - CVE-2025-28962 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-28962

Vulnerability Analysis

The Advanced Google Universal Analytics plugin exposes functionality without enforcing sufficient capability or role checks. WordPress plugins typically restrict administrative functions using current_user_can() checks or nonce validation tied to privileged capabilities. This plugin omits or misconfigures those checks on endpoints that handle sensitive data.

An attacker with any authenticated session, including a subscriber-level account, can invoke the affected endpoints. The result is unauthorized read access to analytics configuration and data that should remain restricted to administrators. Confidentiality is impacted, while integrity and availability remain unaffected according to the published CVSS vector.

Root Cause

The root cause is a Missing Authorization flaw [CWE-862]. The plugin registers AJAX or REST handlers that lack proper capability verification. Access control decisions rely on the presence of a valid session rather than on the specific role or capability required to perform the action.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and a valid low-privileged account. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own authenticated request. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. The server processes the request without validating whether the calling user has the required role, returning sensitive information in the response.

Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-28962

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected HTTP requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin REST routes originating from non-administrator user sessions
Access log entries showing subscriber or contributor accounts querying analytics-related plugin actions
Outbound data flows from the WordPress host containing analytics configuration values shortly after low-privileged user activity

Detection Strategies

Audit WordPress access logs for requests to Advanced Google Universal Analytics plugin endpoints correlated with low-privileged user IDs
Deploy web application firewall rules that flag AJAX or REST calls to the plugin from sessions lacking administrative capabilities
Enumerate installed plugin versions across WordPress inventory and flag any instance of advanced-google-universal-analytics at version 1.0.3 or earlier

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on WordPress authentication and AJAX handlers to capture user context for each request
Alert on anomalous response sizes for plugin endpoints, which may indicate sensitive data disclosure
Track new user registrations followed by immediate access to plugin functionality as a potential exploitation pattern

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-28962

Immediate Actions Required

Disable or uninstall the Advanced Google Universal Analytics plugin until a patched release is confirmed by the vendor
Restrict WordPress user registration and audit existing low-privileged accounts for suspicious activity
Rotate any Google Analytics credentials or tracking identifiers that may have been exposed through the plugin

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on June 17, 2026, no fixed version has been published for the Advanced Google Universal Analytics plugin. All versions through 1.0.3 remain affected. Monitor the Patchstack advisory for updates on remediation availability.

Workarounds

Remove the plugin and replace it with a maintained analytics integration that enforces capability checks
Apply web application firewall rules blocking non-administrative access to the plugin's AJAX and REST endpoints
Enforce least-privilege user roles and disable open registration to reduce the pool of accounts able to exploit the flaw

bash

# Example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate advanced-google-universal-analytics
wp plugin delete advanced-google-universal-analytics