CVE-2025-31765: GDPR Cookie Notice Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-31765 Overview

CVE-2025-31765 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the themeqx GDPR Cookie Notice plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.2.0. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to interact with plugin functionality that should require authentication or elevated privileges. The vulnerability is categorized under [CWE-862] (Missing Authorization) and is exploitable over the network without user interaction or prior authentication. The scope of impact is limited to integrity loss on the affected WordPress site, with no direct impact to confidentiality or availability.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can invoke plugin actions that lack proper authorization checks, allowing low-level integrity modifications to WordPress sites running GDPR Cookie Notice <= 1.2.0.

Affected Products

themeqx GDPR Cookie Notice (gdpr-cookie-notice) WordPress plugin
All versions from initial release through 1.2.0
WordPress installations with the affected plugin activated

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-01 - CVE CVE-2025-31765 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-31765

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks within the GDPR Cookie Notice plugin. WordPress plugins commonly expose administrative or configuration endpoints through AJAX handlers, REST API routes, or admin-post callbacks. Each endpoint must verify both authentication and capability level before executing privileged operations. The affected plugin fails to enforce these checks on one or more actions, allowing unauthenticated requests to reach code paths intended for administrators.

Exploitation requires only network access to the target WordPress site. An attacker crafts HTTP requests targeting the unprotected plugin endpoints and modifies plugin state or settings. Because the scope remains limited to the plugin's data, impact is bounded to integrity changes without direct disclosure of sensitive data or service disruption.

For complete technical context, refer to the Patchstack GDPR Cookie Notice Vulnerability advisory.

Root Cause

The plugin's action handlers omit current_user_can() capability checks and nonce verification via check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce(). Without these guards, WordPress will dispatch the request to the vulnerable handler regardless of the requester's role or session state.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends an HTTP POST or GET request to the exposed WordPress endpoint (admin-ajax.php, admin-post.php, or a REST route) that invokes the vulnerable plugin action. No credentials, tokens, or user interaction are required. The request executes with the plugin's expected privilege level, resulting in unauthorized modification of plugin configuration or related data stored in the WordPress database.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31765

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected modifications to GDPR Cookie Notice plugin settings in the wp_options table.
HTTP requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or /wp-admin/admin-post.php with plugin-specific action parameters from unauthenticated sessions.
Anomalous POST requests from external IP addresses containing gdpr-cookie-notice or themeqx action names.

Detection Strategies

Inventory all WordPress sites and identify installations running gdpr-cookie-notice version 1.2.0 or earlier.
Enable WordPress access logging and search web server logs for requests targeting plugin AJAX or admin-post actions without valid authentication cookies.
Deploy a web application firewall rule to flag unauthenticated requests that reference plugin-specific action names.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor changes to WordPress wp_options entries associated with the plugin for unexpected updates.
Alert on repeated POST requests from a single source IP to plugin endpoints without a valid wordpress_logged_in cookie.
Correlate WordPress audit logs with edge proxy logs to identify unauthorized configuration changes.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31765

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress instances running GDPR Cookie Notice and confirm plugin version status.
Update the plugin to a fixed release once the vendor publishes a patched version beyond 1.2.0.
If no fixed version is available, deactivate and remove the plugin until a patch is released.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the advisory indicates the vulnerability affects versions through <= 1.2.0. Administrators should track the Patchstack advisory for a vendor-supplied patched release and apply it as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Deactivate the GDPR Cookie Notice plugin until a patched version is installed.
Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and wp-admin/admin-post.php using web application firewall rules that block unauthenticated invocations of plugin-specific actions.
Replace the plugin with an alternative GDPR consent solution that receives active security maintenance.

bash

# Example WAF rule concept to block unauthenticated requests to the plugin's AJAX actions
# (Adapt to your WAF syntax, e.g., ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF)
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@rx /wp-admin/admin-(ajax|post)\.php" \
  "chain,deny,status:403,id:1003176,msg:'Block unauth GDPR Cookie Notice actions (CVE-2025-31765)'"
  SecRule ARGS:action "@rx (?i)gdpr[-_]cookie[-_]notice" \
    "chain"
    SecRule &REQUEST_COOKIES:/wordpress_logged_in_/ "@eq 0"