CVE-2025-30841: Countdown & Clock RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30841 Overview

CVE-2025-30841 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in the WordPress Countdown & Clock plugin (countdown-builder) developed by adamskaat. The vulnerability allows attackers to exploit improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, enabling Remote Code Inclusion. This critical security flaw affects all versions of the plugin through version 2.8.8.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to include malicious code on vulnerable WordPress installations, potentially leading to complete site compromise, data theft, and persistent backdoor access.

Affected Products

• WordPress Countdown & Clock (countdown-builder) plugin versions through 2.8.8
• WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the countdown-builder plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-30841 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30841

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), commonly known as Path Traversal. The countdown-builder WordPress plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input when handling file paths, allowing attackers to traverse outside the intended directory structure.

The path traversal weakness enables Remote Code Inclusion, where an attacker can force the application to include and execute arbitrary code files. In the context of a WordPress plugin, this could allow an attacker to include remote PHP files or traverse to other locations on the filesystem to include sensitive files or executable code.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient validation and sanitization of user-controlled input used in file path operations. The plugin does not adequately restrict path components such as ../ sequences or absolute paths, allowing attackers to reference files outside the plugin's intended directory scope. This lack of input validation directly enables the path traversal attack vector.

Attack Vector

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious requests that include path traversal sequences to escape the plugin's directory restrictions. The attack does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible WordPress installations.

The exploitation typically involves:

1. Identifying an input parameter that accepts file paths within the countdown-builder plugin
2. Injecting path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../) to navigate outside restricted directories
3. Including a remote or local file containing malicious PHP code
4. The server executes the included code with the privileges of the web server process

This attack can lead to complete server compromise, including the ability to read sensitive configuration files, inject persistent backdoors, or pivot to other systems on the network.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30841

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to the countdown-builder plugin containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or ..%5c
• Web server logs showing requests with encoded directory traversal patterns targeting plugin endpoints
• Unexpected file access patterns in the WordPress installation directory structure
• New or modified PHP files appearing outside the countdown-builder plugin directory

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in requests to WordPress plugins
• Enable detailed logging for the WordPress installation and monitor for requests containing directory traversal sequences
• Use file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized file inclusions or modifications on the WordPress server
• Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect path traversal attempts in real-time

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing countdown-builder in the URL path combined with ../ sequences
• Set up alerts for HTTP 200 responses to requests that match known path traversal patterns
• Implement centralized log collection and analysis for WordPress environments using SIEM solutions
• Regularly audit installed plugins and their versions against known vulnerability databases

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30841

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Countdown & Clock (countdown-builder) plugin to a patched version if available from the vendor
• If no patch is available, immediately deactivate and remove the countdown-builder plugin from WordPress installations
• Audit web server logs for signs of exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability
• Implement WAF rules to block path traversal attempts targeting the countdown-builder plugin

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the Patchstack vulnerability database for updates on patches and remediation guidance. Ensure the countdown-builder plugin is updated beyond version 2.8.8 once a security fix is released by the developer.

Workarounds

• Disable the countdown-builder plugin until a security patch is available
• Implement server-level restrictions using .htaccess or nginx configuration to block access to vulnerable plugin endpoints
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically targeting path traversal and remote file inclusion attacks
• Use WordPress security plugins that provide virtual patching capabilities for known vulnerabilities