CVE-2025-30543 Overview
CVE-2025-30543 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the swayam.tejwani Menu Duplicator (copy-menu) plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 1.0. It stems from incorrectly configured access control on the menu duplication functionality, allowing authenticated users with low privileges to invoke actions that should be restricted to administrators. The weakness is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Critical Impact
Authenticated users with minimal privileges can duplicate WordPress menus without proper authorization checks, resulting in limited integrity impact on affected sites.
Affected Products
- swayam.tejwani Menu Duplicator WordPress plugin (copy-menu)
- All versions from n/a through 1.0
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-24 - CVE CVE-2025-30543 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-30543
Vulnerability Analysis
The Menu Duplicator plugin exposes a menu-copy action without enforcing capability checks appropriate for the operation. WordPress plugins are expected to gate administrative actions with current_user_can() checks and validate requests with nonces. When these controls are absent or misconfigured, any authenticated session can trigger the action.
Exploitation requires a valid low-privilege account, such as a subscriber, on the target WordPress site. Sites that permit open user registration are more exposed because attackers can self-provision the required account. The impact is bounded by the plugin's functionality: duplicating navigation menu structures rather than reading sensitive data or executing code.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing or insufficient authorization check in the copy-menu request handler. The plugin registers a handler that processes menu duplication requests but does not verify that the requesting user has the edit_theme_options or similar administrative capability required to modify site navigation.
Attack Vector
The attack is delivered over the network against the WordPress admin-ajax or admin-post endpoint that the plugin registers. An attacker authenticates with any low-privilege account, then submits a crafted request invoking the duplication action. See the Patchstack advisory for technical specifics.
No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available at this time.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30543
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected duplicate navigation menus appearing in the WordPress Appearance > Menus interface.
- HTTP POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php referencing the copy-menu action from non-administrator user sessions.
- Web server logs showing menu duplication activity originating from subscriber or contributor accounts.
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress access logs for requests containing the copy-menu action parameter correlated with low-privilege user IDs.
- Audit the wp_term_taxonomy and wp_terms tables for unexplained menu entries created outside administrator sessions.
- Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to record menu creation events with associated user context.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor for spikes in authenticated requests to plugin-registered AJAX endpoints from non-administrator roles.
- Alert on new user registrations followed by immediate activity against /wp-admin/ endpoints.
- Track installed plugin versions across managed WordPress sites and flag copy-menu version 1.0 or earlier.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30543
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Menu Duplicator (copy-menu) plugin from all WordPress installations until a patched version is available.
- Restrict WordPress user registration or require administrator approval for new accounts to reduce the pool of authenticated attackers.
- Audit existing user accounts and remove inactive or unnecessary low-privilege accounts.
Patch Information
No vendor patch has been referenced in the available advisory data. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0. Consult the Patchstack advisory for updated remediation guidance.
Workarounds
- Replace the plugin with a maintained alternative that enforces capability checks on menu operations.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule blocking requests containing the copy-menu action from non-administrator sessions.
- Apply the principle of least privilege by ensuring only trusted users hold accounts on the affected WordPress site.
# Configuration example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate copy-menu
wp plugin delete copy-menu
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.