CVE-2025-30615: WP e-Commerce Style Email CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30615 Overview

CVE-2025-30615 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WP e-Commerce Style Email WordPress plugin developed by Jacob Schwartz. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform Code Injection attacks, potentially leading to Remote Code Execution (RCE) on affected WordPress installations. The vulnerability exists due to missing or improper CSRF token validation in plugin functionality, enabling attackers to trick authenticated administrators into executing malicious actions.

Critical Impact

This CSRF vulnerability can be chained with code injection to achieve Remote Code Execution on WordPress sites running the affected plugin, potentially allowing complete site compromise.

Affected Products

• WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin versions from n/a through 0.6.2
• WordPress installations using vulnerable versions of this plugin
• Sites where administrators actively use the plugin's administrative features

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-24 - CVE-2025-30615 published to NVD
• 2025-03-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30615

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a dangerous combination of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) and Code Injection flaws. The WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin fails to properly implement anti-CSRF protections on one or more of its administrative endpoints that handle code or content processing. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious web page or clicks a crafted link, the attacker can submit unauthorized requests to the vulnerable plugin functionality on behalf of the administrator.

The chain from CSRF to Remote Code Execution indicates that the plugin likely accepts and processes user-supplied input (such as email templates or configuration settings) without adequate sanitization, allowing injected code to be executed on the server. This attack requires user interaction (administrator must visit a malicious page), but once triggered can result in complete compromise of the WordPress installation.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery. The plugin does not adequately verify that requests to sensitive administrative functions originate from legitimate user actions within the WordPress admin interface. Specifically:

• Missing or improperly validated nonce tokens on state-changing operations
• Insufficient verification of request origin for code-processing functionality
• Lack of proper input sanitization allowing injected code to be processed

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction from an authenticated WordPress administrator. An attacker would craft a malicious web page containing hidden form submissions or JavaScript that automatically sends requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. The attack scenario typically follows this pattern:

1. Attacker identifies a WordPress site using WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin version 0.6.2 or earlier
2. Attacker crafts a malicious HTML page containing a hidden form targeting the vulnerable plugin endpoint
3. The form includes malicious code injection payload in the appropriate parameter
4. Attacker tricks the site administrator into visiting the malicious page (via phishing, social engineering, etc.)
5. When the administrator visits the page, their browser automatically submits the form using their authenticated session
6. The plugin processes the request without CSRF validation and executes the injected code

This vulnerability requires the victim to have an active authenticated session as a WordPress administrator with access to the plugin's functionality. The scope is changed, meaning successful exploitation can impact resources beyond the vulnerable component itself.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30615

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected or unauthorized modifications to email templates within the WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin
• Suspicious PHP files created in the WordPress uploads or plugin directories
• Unusual outbound network connections from the WordPress server
• Web server logs showing POST requests to plugin endpoints from external referrers
• Administrator session activity during times the legitimate user was not active

Detection Strategies

• Review WordPress admin audit logs for unexpected plugin configuration changes
• Monitor web server access logs for requests to WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin endpoints with suspicious referrer headers
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block CSRF attack patterns
• Scan WordPress installations for presence of vulnerable plugin versions using security plugins or WP-CLI
• Monitor file integrity to detect unauthorized PHP file modifications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for WordPress administrative actions
• Configure alerts for plugin setting modifications outside of normal administrative hours
• Implement file integrity monitoring on the WordPress installation directory
• Monitor server processes for unexpected PHP execution or shell spawning
• Review HTTP referrer headers for requests to plugin administrative endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30615

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately deactivate and remove the WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin if not critical to operations
• Audit WordPress file system for any unauthorized modifications or suspicious files
• Review WordPress user accounts for any unauthorized privilege escalations
• Rotate all WordPress administrator credentials as a precaution
• Implement WAF rules to block requests to the plugin's administrative endpoints from external referrers

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2025-03-27, all versions of WP e-Commerce Style Email through 0.6.2 are affected. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patch status and remediation guidance. If no patched version is available, consider removing the plugin and finding an alternative solution.

Workarounds

• Disable or deactivate the WP e-Commerce Style Email plugin until a patched version is released
• Implement server-level access controls to restrict plugin administrative endpoints to trusted IP addresses only
• Use a Web Application Firewall with CSRF protection capabilities to filter malicious requests
• Ensure WordPress administrators are trained to recognize phishing attempts and avoid clicking suspicious links
• Consider using browser extensions that provide additional CSRF protection for administrative sessions

# WordPress CLI commands to check and disable the vulnerable plugin
# Check if the plugin is installed and its version
wp plugin list --name=wp-e-commerce-style-email --fields=name,status,version

# Deactivate the plugin to mitigate the vulnerability
wp plugin deactivate wp-e-commerce-style-email

# Optional: Completely remove the plugin
wp plugin delete wp-e-commerce-style-email