CVE-2025-31042 Overview
CVE-2025-31042 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the rtakao Sandwich Adsense (firsth3tagadsense) WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 4.0.2. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to interact with plugin functionality that should require authenticated privileges. The vulnerability is network-exploitable, requires no user interaction, and requires no prior authentication. Successful exploitation results in a limited integrity impact on the affected WordPress site.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can invoke plugin actions that lack proper authorization checks, allowing modification of plugin state or settings on affected WordPress installations.
Affected Products
- rtakao Sandwich Adsense (firsth3tagadsense) WordPress plugin
- All versions from n/a through <= 4.0.2
- WordPress sites with the plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-09 - CVE-2025-31042 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31042
Vulnerability Analysis
The Sandwich Adsense plugin exposes one or more actions or endpoints without validating whether the requester has the necessary permissions. This is a broken access control issue classified under [CWE-862] Missing Authorization. Because the plugin does not verify capabilities or nonces before executing privileged operations, external actors can invoke the affected functionality by sending crafted HTTP requests. The impact is bounded to integrity, meaning attackers can alter plugin data or configuration but do not gain confidentiality or availability impact directly from this flaw. EPSS data reports a probability of 0.426% for exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability checks such as current_user_can() and missing check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce() validation on request handlers registered by the plugin. WordPress plugins that rely on admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php hooks must gate sensitive actions behind explicit authorization. In Sandwich Adsense <= 4.0.2, these safeguards are either missing or improperly configured, allowing unauthenticated calls to reach code paths intended for administrators.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network with low attack complexity and no authentication. An attacker sends an HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint on a target WordPress site. Because the plugin executes the requested action without verifying the caller's role, the request succeeds. Detailed reproduction steps for this issue are available in the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31042
Indicators of Compromise
- Unauthenticated POST or GET requests to admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php referencing Sandwich Adsense actions from unexpected source IP addresses.
- Unexpected changes to plugin settings or Adsense configuration values stored in the WordPress wp_options table.
- Web server access logs showing repeated requests to plugin-specific endpoints without corresponding authenticated session cookies.
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress installations for the Sandwich Adsense plugin at version <= 4.0.2 using plugin inventory tooling or wp plugin list.
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag or block unauthenticated requests targeting the plugin's registered actions.
- Correlate anomalous configuration changes in the WordPress database with request logs to identify unauthorized modifications.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging on admin-ajax.php and admin-post.php endpoints and forward logs to a centralized SIEM.
- Monitor plugin option changes and administrative content updates for unexpected modifications outside of maintenance windows.
- Track HTTP 200 responses to plugin endpoints originating from unauthenticated sessions and alert on volume anomalies.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31042
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running Sandwich Adsense version 4.0.2 or earlier and prioritize remediation.
- Deactivate and remove the plugin if a patched version is not yet available or the plugin is no longer required.
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and /wp-admin/admin-post.php from untrusted networks where feasible.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vendor advisory referenced by the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report lists all versions through 4.0.2 as affected. Administrators should upgrade to any subsequent release that addresses the missing authorization checks or remove the plugin until a fix is verified.
Workarounds
- Apply WAF rules to block unauthenticated requests to Sandwich Adsense plugin endpoints until the plugin is updated or removed.
- Enforce IP allowlisting on the WordPress administrative interface to reduce exposure of vulnerable endpoints.
- Regularly review installed plugins and remove abandoned or unmaintained components from production environments.
# Example: identify and disable the vulnerable plugin with WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=firsth3tagadsense --fields=name,status,version
wp plugin deactivate firsth3tagadsense
wp plugin delete firsth3tagadsense
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
