CVE-2025-31408: Zoho Flow Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-31408 Overview

CVE-2025-31408 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Zoho Flow plugin for WordPress. The flaw stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels in versions up to and including 2.13.3. Authenticated users with low privileges can invoke plugin functionality that should be restricted, resulting in unauthorized actions against protected resources. The issue is network-exploitable and requires low privileges with no user interaction. Exploitation impacts integrity while leaving confidentiality and availability unaffected, according to the published CVSS vector.

Critical Impact
Authenticated low-privileged WordPress users can bypass access control checks in the Zoho Flow plugin and perform actions restricted to higher-privileged roles.

Affected Products

Zoho Flow WordPress plugin (zoho-flow) versions up to and including 2.13.3
WordPress sites with the Zoho Flow integration plugin installed
Deployments exposing the plugin's endpoints to authenticated users

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-31408 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31408

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a Broken Access Control weakness classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization. The Zoho Flow plugin exposes functionality without verifying that the calling user holds the appropriate capability or role. As a result, requests from authenticated users with minimal privileges reach code paths that should be gated to administrators or workflow owners. The impact is limited to integrity, meaning attackers can modify or trigger plugin-managed state but cannot directly read sensitive data or crash the site through this flaw alone. The Patchstack Vulnerability Report documents the issue as an incorrectly configured access control security level.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient capability checks on plugin actions and AJAX or REST endpoints. WordPress plugins are expected to call functions such as current_user_can() before executing privileged operations. In Zoho Flow through version 2.13.3, one or more handlers omit or misconfigure these checks, treating any authenticated request as authorized.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress account with low privileges, such as Subscriber, and network access to the target site. The attacker sends a crafted request to a plugin-controlled endpoint that lacks proper authorization enforcement. Because user interaction is not required and complexity is low, exploitation can be scripted against exposed instances. The EPSS score is 0.243%, placing this vulnerability in the lower range for observed exploitation likelihood.

No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently available. Refer to the vendor advisory referenced above for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31408

Indicators of Compromise

Requests to Zoho Flow plugin endpoints (typically under /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or /wp-json/) originating from accounts with Subscriber or Contributor roles.
Unexpected changes to Zoho Flow workflow configurations, connections, or triggers not attributable to administrator activity.
Spikes in authenticated POST requests to plugin action handlers from a single account or IP address.

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for authenticated requests to zoho-flow action names or REST routes made by non-administrative users.
Correlate plugin audit events with the acting user's role to identify privilege mismatches.
Deploy WordPress security plugins or a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules that flag broken access control patterns on plugin endpoints.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on admin-ajax.php and REST API traffic, capturing the authenticated user, action, and response code.
Alert on any modification to Zoho Flow configuration performed by accounts that are not Administrators or Editors.
Monitor user role changes and new low-privileged account registrations that precede plugin endpoint activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31408

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Zoho Flow plugin to a version later than 2.13.3 as soon as a fixed release is published by the vendor.
Audit existing WordPress user accounts and disable or remove unused low-privileged accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation.
Restrict new user registration on WordPress sites where it is not operationally required.

Patch Information

Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patched version guidance. Apply the fixed release through the WordPress plugin manager or by replacing the plugin directory with the updated package. Verify the plugin version after upgrade to confirm remediation.

Workarounds

Temporarily deactivate the Zoho Flow plugin until a patched version can be installed.
Apply WAF rules that block requests to Zoho Flow endpoints from users whose roles are below Editor.
Enforce the principle of least privilege by reviewing capabilities granted to custom roles that may interact with the plugin.

bash

# Verify installed Zoho Flow plugin version via WP-CLI
wp plugin get zoho-flow --field=version

# Update the plugin to the latest available release
wp plugin update zoho-flow

# Deactivate as a temporary workaround if no patched version is available
wp plugin deactivate zoho-flow