CVE-2025-31904 Overview
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been identified in the Ebook Downloader plugin developed by Infoway LLC for WordPress. This vulnerability allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users by tricking them into visiting a malicious webpage or clicking on a crafted link. The CSRF flaw can be chained with Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), significantly amplifying the potential impact on affected WordPress installations.
Critical Impact
Attackers can exploit this CSRF vulnerability to execute unauthorized actions in the context of authenticated WordPress users, potentially leading to stored XSS injection and complete site compromise.
Affected Products
- Infoway LLC Ebook Downloader plugin for WordPress version 1.0 and earlier
- WordPress installations utilizing the ebook-downloader plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-31904 published to NVD
- 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31904
Vulnerability Analysis
This Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability exists in the Ebook Downloader WordPress plugin due to missing or improper validation of security tokens (nonces) on sensitive operations. WordPress plugins are expected to implement nonce verification to ensure that form submissions and AJAX requests originate from legitimate, authenticated sessions. When this protection is absent or improperly implemented, attackers can craft malicious requests that execute privileged actions when triggered by an authenticated user.
According to the Patchstack vulnerability report, this CSRF vulnerability can be chained with Stored XSS, meaning an attacker could potentially inject persistent malicious scripts into the WordPress database through the vulnerable plugin functionality.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the Ebook Downloader plugin. WordPress provides built-in nonce functions (wp_nonce_field(), wp_verify_nonce(), check_admin_referer()) that should be implemented on all state-changing operations. The plugin fails to properly implement these security controls, leaving form submissions and administrative actions vulnerable to cross-origin exploitation.
Attack Vector
An attacker exploits this vulnerability by crafting a malicious HTML page containing a hidden form that targets the vulnerable endpoint in the Ebook Downloader plugin. When an authenticated WordPress administrator visits this malicious page (through social engineering, phishing, or other means), their browser automatically submits the forged request using their active session credentials. Since the plugin does not validate the origin of the request, it processes the malicious action as if it were legitimate.
The attack chain typically involves:
- Attacker identifies the vulnerable endpoint in the Ebook Downloader plugin
- Attacker creates a malicious webpage with a hidden form targeting this endpoint
- Attacker entices a logged-in WordPress administrator to visit the malicious page
- The victim's browser automatically submits the forged request
- The plugin processes the request, potentially storing malicious XSS payloads
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31904
Indicators of Compromise
- Review WordPress access logs for unexpected POST requests to Ebook Downloader plugin endpoints from external referrers
- Monitor for newly created or modified ebook entries containing suspicious JavaScript or HTML content
- Check for stored XSS payloads in plugin-related database tables
Detection Strategies
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block inline script execution attempts
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect CSRF attack patterns and malicious form submissions
- Monitor WordPress admin activity logs for unauthorized configuration changes to the Ebook Downloader plugin
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable detailed logging for all plugin administrative actions in WordPress
- Set up alerts for plugin settings modifications occurring outside normal business hours
- Implement referrer header monitoring to detect cross-origin requests to sensitive plugin endpoints
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31904
Immediate Actions Required
- Disable or remove the Ebook Downloader plugin (ebook-downloader) from all WordPress installations until a patched version is available
- Review WordPress database for any indicators of stored XSS payloads that may have been injected through this vulnerability
- Audit user accounts and permissions for any unauthorized changes
Patch Information
As of the last update, no official patch has been released for the Ebook Downloader plugin. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack vulnerability database for the latest status on remediation options and consider removing the plugin entirely until a security update is made available by Infoway LLC.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Ebook Downloader plugin from production WordPress sites
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with CSRF protection rules as a compensating control
- Limit administrative access to WordPress and require strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA)
# WordPress CLI commands to disable the vulnerable plugin
wp plugin deactivate ebook-downloader --path=/var/www/html/wordpress
wp plugin delete ebook-downloader --path=/var/www/html/wordpress
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
