CVE-2025-31839 Overview
CVE-2025-31839 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the DN Footer Contacts WordPress plugin developed by digireturn. The flaw is present in all plugin versions up to and including 1.8.1. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which covers Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, such as an authenticated administrator visiting an attacker-controlled page. The issue enables unauthorized state-changing actions on the vulnerable WordPress site.
Critical Impact
An attacker can trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions on the WordPress site running the dn-footer-contacts plugin, resulting in limited integrity impact to plugin configuration data.
Affected Products
- digireturn DN Footer Contacts plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.8.1
- WordPress sites with the dn-footer-contacts plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-31839 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31839
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-31839 stems from missing or improperly implemented anti-CSRF protections in the DN Footer Contacts WordPress plugin. The plugin fails to validate the origin or authenticity of state-changing HTTP requests. Attackers exploit this by crafting malicious web pages that submit forged requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. When an authenticated administrator visits the attacker-controlled page, the browser automatically includes valid session cookies with the forged request. WordPress processes the request as legitimate, executing actions the administrator did not intend.
The attack requires user interaction, meaning a victim must click a link or load attacker-controlled content while authenticated. The scope of impact is limited to integrity, with no direct confidentiality or availability consequences documented. This aligns with typical CSRF patterns against WordPress plugin settings endpoints.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of proper nonce validation on requests that modify plugin state. WordPress provides the wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() APIs to prevent CSRF, but the dn-footer-contacts plugin does not consistently apply these checks. Without a valid, unpredictable token bound to the user session, any request bearing valid authentication cookies is accepted.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a malicious page containing a hidden form or JavaScript that auto-submits a POST request to the target WordPress admin endpoint exposed by the plugin. The attacker distributes this page through phishing emails, forum posts, or malicious advertising. When a logged-in WordPress administrator visits the page, the forged request modifies plugin settings or performs other unauthorized state changes. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31839
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to DN Footer Contacts plugin configuration or footer content that administrators did not authorize.
- WordPress access logs showing POST requests to dn-footer-contacts plugin endpoints with Referer headers pointing to external, untrusted domains.
- Administrator sessions performing plugin configuration changes shortly after visiting external links or opening emails.
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress activity logs for plugin setting changes correlated with anomalous referrer headers or unusual timing.
- Inspect HTTP request patterns for missing or invalid _wpnonce parameters on plugin administrative endpoints.
- Compare current plugin configuration against known-good baselines to identify unauthorized modifications.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to capture all administrative actions with user, timestamp, and source IP context.
- Monitor outbound web traffic from administrator workstations for connections to suspicious domains preceding plugin configuration changes.
- Alert on HTTP requests to wp-admin endpoints with cross-origin referrers, which may indicate CSRF attempts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31839
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations running the DN Footer Contacts plugin at version 1.8.1 or earlier.
- Deactivate and remove the plugin if a patched version is not yet available for your environment.
- Require administrators to log out of WordPress sessions when not actively managing the site to reduce CSRF exposure.
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2026-06-17, the vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.8.1, with no fixed version explicitly listed in the available data. Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest remediation guidance and update to a patched release once released by the vendor.
Workarounds
- Restrict WordPress admin access to trusted IP addresses using web server or firewall rules.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with CSRF protection rules covering WordPress plugin endpoints.
- Enforce browser isolation or dedicated administrative browsers for WordPress management to limit exposure to malicious sites.
# Example: restrict wp-admin access by IP using Apache .htaccess
<Directory "/var/www/html/wp-admin">
Require ip 192.0.2.0/24
Require ip 198.51.100.42
</Directory>
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
