CVE-2025-30783: WP Google Review Slider CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30783 Overview

CVE-2025-30783 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WP Google Review Slider WordPress plugin (wp-google-places-review-slider) developed by jgwhite33. This vulnerability allows attackers to chain CSRF with SQL Injection attacks, potentially enabling unauthorized database access and manipulation through malicious requests.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this CSRF vulnerability to perform SQL Injection attacks, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the WordPress database, extracting sensitive information, or modifying data.

Affected Products

• WP Google Review Slider plugin versions through 16.0
• WordPress installations with the vulnerable plugin installed
• Sites using wp-google-places-review-slider for Google review integration

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-27 - CVE-2025-30783 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30783

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a compound attack chain combining Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) with SQL Injection. The WP Google Review Slider plugin lacks proper CSRF token validation on certain administrative functions, allowing an attacker to craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, inject SQL commands into database queries.

The absence of proper nonce verification on vulnerable endpoints enables attackers to forge requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress backend. When combined with insufficient input sanitization, this allows SQL payloads to be processed by the database engine.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability stems from two compounding security issues:

1. Missing CSRF Protection (CWE-352): The plugin fails to implement or properly validate WordPress nonce tokens on sensitive administrative actions, allowing external sites to submit unauthorized requests on behalf of authenticated users.

2. Insufficient Input Sanitization: User-supplied input is not properly escaped or parameterized before being included in SQL queries, enabling injection of malicious SQL syntax.

Attack Vector

The attack requires social engineering to trick an authenticated WordPress administrator into visiting a malicious page or clicking a crafted link. The attack flow typically follows this pattern:

1. Attacker creates a malicious webpage containing a hidden form or JavaScript that targets the vulnerable plugin endpoint
2. The form includes SQL injection payloads in the request parameters
3. When an authenticated administrator visits the malicious page, their browser automatically submits the forged request
4. The WordPress installation processes the request with the administrator's privileges
5. The SQL injection payload executes against the database

The vulnerability is exploited through HTTP requests to plugin endpoints that handle review data or configuration settings. Due to the lack of code examples from verified sources, specific technical exploitation details can be found in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30783

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected or anomalous SQL queries in WordPress database logs originating from the WP Google Review Slider plugin
• Administrator account activity from unusual IP addresses or geographic locations
• Suspicious modifications to WordPress database tables, particularly those related to reviews or plugin settings
• Referrer headers in server logs pointing to external domains for administrative plugin actions

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application firewall (WAF) logs for SQL injection patterns targeting WordPress plugin endpoints
• Implement WordPress activity logging plugins to track administrative actions and detect unauthorized changes
• Review server access logs for POST requests to WP Google Review Slider administrative endpoints with suspicious payloads
• Deploy intrusion detection rules for CSRF attack patterns combined with SQL injection signatures

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for all WordPress administrative actions
• Configure alerts for database queries containing SQL injection patterns such as UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or comment sequences
• Monitor for unusual plugin configuration changes or review data modifications
• Implement real-time monitoring of WordPress admin activity with behavioral baseline analysis

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30783

Immediate Actions Required

• Update WP Google Review Slider to a patched version when available from the vendor
• Consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a security patch is released
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with CSRF and SQL injection protection rules
• Audit the WordPress database for any signs of compromise or unauthorized modifications
• Review administrator account activity logs for suspicious actions

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the official WordPress plugin repository and the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for patch availability. Ensure automatic updates are enabled or apply updates promptly when released. Version 16.0 and earlier are confirmed vulnerable.

Workarounds

• Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit cross-origin form submissions
• Configure Web Application Firewall rules to block requests with SQL injection patterns
• Restrict administrative access to the plugin settings to trusted IP addresses only
• Use WordPress security plugins that provide additional CSRF protection and request validation
• Educate administrators about phishing and social engineering risks to reduce likelihood of successful CSRF attacks

# Example: Add WAF rules via .htaccess for Apache servers
# Block common SQL injection patterns
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} [a-zA-Z0-9_]=.*(\[|\]|\%5B|\%5D) [NC,OR]
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} union.*select.*\( [NC,OR]
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} concat.*\( [NC]
    RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>