CVE-2025-31736: Rich Text Editor Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-31736 Overview

CVE-2025-31736 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Rich Text Editor WordPress plugin (richtexteditor). The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.0.1. The plugin fails to enforce proper access control checks on one or more of its endpoints, allowing unauthenticated network attackers to interact with functionality that should be restricted to privileged users.

The vulnerability enables limited tampering with plugin data and can affect availability of protected resources. Exploitation requires no authentication and no user interaction, and the attack can be delivered remotely over HTTP.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can reach protected plugin functionality over the network, resulting in low-level integrity and availability impact on affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

WordPress Rich Text Editor plugin (richtexteditor) versions up to and including 1.0.1
WordPress installations with the affected plugin active
Sites that expose the plugin's endpoints to unauthenticated visitors

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-03 - CVE-2025-31736 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31736

Vulnerability Analysis

The Rich Text Editor plugin exposes functionality that lacks proper authorization checks. Under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), the application does not verify that the requesting user holds the privileges required to perform the requested action. This is classified as a broken access control weakness.

Because the vulnerable code path is reachable over the network without credentials, an attacker only needs to send a crafted HTTP request to the exposed endpoint. The confidentiality impact is none, but attackers can modify limited data and disrupt availability of the affected functionality.

An EPSS score of 0.361% places this vulnerability in the lower tier of predicted exploitation likelihood. However, WordPress plugin flaws with unauthenticated network access are frequent targets of opportunistic scanning campaigns.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of a capability or nonce check on plugin actions. WordPress plugins typically enforce authorization using current_user_can() and CSRF protection using check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce(). In richtexteditor versions up to 1.0.1, one or more handlers proceed to execute their action without validating whether the caller is authenticated or holds the required capability.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends an HTTP request directly to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. The endpoint executes the requested action because no authorization gate blocks the unauthenticated caller. The Patchstack advisory describes this as a broken access control issue reachable without credentials.

No authenticated session, administrative access, or user interaction is required. The public-facing WordPress site itself is sufficient to expose the endpoint. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the specific handler details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31736

Indicators of Compromise

Unauthenticated POST or GET requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or wp-admin/admin-post.php referencing Rich Text Editor plugin actions
Requests to plugin paths under /wp-content/plugins/richtexteditor/ from external IP addresses
Unexpected modifications to plugin-managed content or settings without a corresponding administrator login event
HTTP 200 responses to plugin action requests originating from IPs with no prior authenticated session

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress installations and identify sites running richtexteditor version 1.0.1 or earlier
Alert on AJAX action names associated with the plugin when the request lacks a valid authenticated session cookie
Correlate web server access logs with WordPress audit logs to surface anonymous invocations of plugin endpoints
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that require authentication for administrative plugin actions

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward WordPress access logs and PHP error logs to a centralized logging platform for query and retention
Baseline normal traffic patterns for plugin endpoints and alert on anomalous request volume from single sources
Monitor file integrity on plugin directories to catch unauthorized modifications
Track outbound connections from the web server host that could indicate post-exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31736

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress instances running the Rich Text Editor plugin at version 1.0.1 or earlier
Deactivate and remove the plugin if a patched version is not available or the plugin is not business-critical
Restrict access to wp-admin/ and plugin endpoints using IP allowlisting where feasible
Review WordPress user accounts and plugin-managed content for signs of tampering

Patch Information

As of the NVD entry, the vulnerability affects Rich Text Editor versions through 1.0.1, and no fixed version is listed in the reference data. Administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the WordPress plugin repository for the latest remediation status. Until a patched release is confirmed, treat the plugin as unpatched and apply compensating controls.

Workarounds

Remove the Rich Text Editor plugin from production sites until a vendor patch is confirmed
Deploy WAF rules that block unauthenticated requests to plugin action handlers and AJAX endpoints
Enforce HTTP authentication on wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and wp-admin/admin-post.php at the reverse proxy layer
Apply least-privilege review across WordPress roles so that any incidental account compromise limits blast radius

bash

# Example nginx snippet restricting plugin path access to trusted IPs
location ~* /wp-content/plugins/richtexteditor/ {
    allow 203.0.113.0/24;
    deny all;
}