CVE-2025-31386: Simple:Press Authorization Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-31386 Overview

CVE-2025-31386 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Simple:Press WordPress plugin developed by simplepress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 6.11.5 and results from incorrectly configured access control security levels. Unauthenticated attackers can reach functionality that should require privileged access, leading to limited integrity impact on affected forums. The issue is exploitable remotely over the network without user interaction. Site operators running Simple:Press forums on WordPress installations are exposed until an updated release is installed.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can bypass access control checks in Simple:Press versions through 6.11.5 without authentication, modifying data that should be protected by proper authorization.

Affected Products

Simple:Press WordPress plugin versions up to and including 6.11.5
WordPress sites running the vulnerable Simple:Press forum plugin
Any forum deployment relying on Simple:Press access control levels

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-31386 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31386

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability arises from missing authorization checks within Simple:Press plugin endpoints. The plugin exposes actions that should be restricted to specific user roles or authenticated forum members. Because access control security levels are incorrectly configured, the plugin fails to verify the caller's permissions before executing sensitive operations. An attacker sending crafted HTTP requests can invoke these endpoints without valid credentials. The result is a limited integrity impact, allowing unauthorized modification of forum data or state changes that the access control model intended to prevent.

Root Cause

The root cause maps to [CWE-862] Missing Authorization. Simple:Press action handlers rely on capability or role checks that are absent, incomplete, or configured against the wrong security level. Requests reach the affected functions without validating whether the requester holds the necessary privileges. This design gap effectively treats unauthenticated visitors the same as authorized forum members for the vulnerable code paths.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network against a WordPress site running Simple:Press. The attacker crafts an HTTP request targeting an unprotected plugin action, typically through admin-ajax.php, REST routes, or plugin-specific query parameters. No authentication, elevated privileges, or user interaction is required. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the disclosed technical scope.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31386

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected forum posts, edits, or configuration changes attributed to anonymous or unauthenticated sessions
HTTP requests to Simple:Press action endpoints from IPs without prior authenticated sessions
Spikes in POST traffic to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing Simple:Press action names

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for requests to Simple:Press endpoints originating from unauthenticated sessions
Correlate plugin action invocations against user session state to flag actions performed without a logged-in cookie
Compare forum database changes against the audit trail to identify modifications lacking an authorized user context

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on the WordPress application layer and forward events to a centralized SIEM
Alert on anomalous request rates targeting Simple:Press URLs, particularly from new or foreign IP ranges
Baseline normal forum administrative activity and alert on privileged operations occurring outside authenticated sessions

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31386

Immediate Actions Required

Update Simple:Press to a version later than 6.11.5 once the vendor releases a patched build
Audit forum content and configuration for unauthorized changes made prior to remediation
Restrict access to Simple:Press endpoints at the web server or WAF layer until patching is complete

Patch Information

Simple:Press versions through 6.11.5 are affected. Site administrators should monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the fixed release and apply it through the WordPress plugin update interface.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Simple:Press plugin until a patched version is available if the forum is not business critical
Deploy WAF rules that block unauthenticated requests to Simple:Press action handlers and REST routes
Enforce IP allowlisting on wp-admin and plugin endpoints to limit exposure to trusted networks

bash

# Example WAF rule to block unauthenticated Simple:Press action requests
# Deny POST requests to admin-ajax.php with Simple:Press actions when no auth cookie is present
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" \
  "chain,deny,status:403,id:1003138,msg:'Block unauthenticated Simple:Press action'"
  SecRule ARGS:action "@rx ^sp[a-z_]+" "chain"
    SecRule &REQUEST_COOKIES:/wordpress_logged_in_/ "@eq 0"