CVE-2025-31799 Overview
CVE-2025-31799 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Publitio WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 2.1.8. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to perform actions reserved for higher-privileged users.
The weakness is classified as [CWE-862] Missing Authorization. The plugin fails to verify that the requesting user has permission to execute specific actions before processing requests. This allows subscriber-level accounts to interact with functionality intended for administrators or editors.
Critical Impact
Authenticated low-privilege users can bypass access controls in Publitio plugin versions through 2.1.8, leading to limited integrity impact on affected WordPress sites.
Affected Products
- Publitio WordPress Plugin versions through 2.1.8
- WordPress installations with the Publitio plugin enabled
- Any site using Publitio for media management and delivery
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-01 - CVE CVE-2025-31799 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31799
Vulnerability Analysis
The Publitio plugin exposes functionality through WordPress action handlers without validating the capabilities of the invoking user. Missing authorization checks allow authenticated users with minimal privileges, such as subscribers, to trigger operations that should require elevated roles.
The attack requires network access and valid authentication but no user interaction. The scope remains unchanged, with no confidentiality or availability impact. Integrity impact is limited to data the plugin manages.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability checks on plugin endpoints. WordPress plugins should call current_user_can() or verify nonces with permission context before executing privileged actions. The Publitio plugin either omits these checks or applies security levels that do not match the sensitivity of the exposed operations.
This is a classic [CWE-862] Missing Authorization pattern. The code assumes that authentication alone is sufficient, without enforcing role-based access control on individual actions.
Attack Vector
An attacker needs a valid WordPress account on the target site. Many WordPress sites allow open registration at the subscriber level. Once authenticated, the attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. The server processes these requests without verifying the user holds the required capability.
The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network. Attack complexity is low, requiring only knowledge of the vulnerable endpoint and a low-privilege session cookie. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for technical details.
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Stop Identity AttacksDetection Methods for CVE-2025-31799
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected admin-ajax.php or REST API requests to Publitio plugin endpoints originating from subscriber-level accounts
- Modifications to Publitio plugin settings or media configurations without a corresponding administrator session
- New or unexpected WordPress user registrations followed by immediate requests to plugin action handlers
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress access logs for POST requests to Publitio-related endpoints paired with low-privilege session cookies
- Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to track capability-sensitive actions and flag mismatches between user role and action type
- Correlate authentication events with plugin configuration changes to identify unauthorized modifications
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on any Publitio plugin configuration change performed by non-administrator accounts
- Monitor for anomalous request patterns to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with Publitio action parameters
- Track WordPress user role distributions and investigate spikes in subscriber account creation
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31799
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Publitio plugin to a version later than 2.1.8 once a patched release is available from the vendor
- Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade accounts that do not require access
- Disable open user registration if it is not required for site functionality
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2026-06-17, affected versions include all releases through 2.1.8. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the plugin's official repository for the current patched version.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the Publitio plugin until a patched version is deployed if the functionality is not business-critical
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall rule that blocks requests to Publitio endpoints from users whose session role is below editor
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/ using IP allowlisting where feasible to limit the attack surface
# Example: Disable WordPress open registration via wp-config.php
# Set 'users_can_register' to 0 in site options
wp option update users_can_register 0
# Example: Deactivate the Publitio plugin using WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate publitio
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
