CVE-2025-32147 Overview
CVE-2025-32147 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the coothemes Easy WP Optimizer plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.1.0. Attackers with low-privileged authenticated access can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks to perform privileged actions. The vulnerability maps to [CWE-862: Missing Authorization] and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with minimal privileges can bypass access control enforcement to compromise plugin functionality, exposing site configuration, performance optimization data, and underlying WordPress integrity.
Affected Products
- coothemes Easy WP Optimizer WordPress plugin
- All versions from initial release through 1.1.0
- WordPress installations with the plugin enabled
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-04 - CVE-2025-32147 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-32147
Vulnerability Analysis
The Easy WP Optimizer plugin exposes administrative or sensitive plugin endpoints without verifying that the requesting user holds the required capability. The plugin relies on incorrectly configured access control security levels, allowing any authenticated user to invoke functions intended only for site administrators. This results in a broken access control condition that compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the WordPress site.
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and a low-privileged authenticated session, such as a subscriber account. No user interaction is required, and the attack complexity is low. The EPSS probability is 0.411%, placing the vulnerability in the 32nd percentile for likelihood of exploitation.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability checks (for example, current_user_can()) or nonce validation on plugin action handlers. WordPress plugins must enforce authorization on every privileged endpoint, including AJAX handlers, admin-post routes, and REST API endpoints. The plugin's handlers either omit these checks or apply them at an insufficient security level, allowing horizontal and vertical privilege escalation paths.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires authenticated access. An attacker registers or compromises a low-privileged WordPress account, then sends crafted HTTP requests directly to the plugin's exposed endpoints. Because the endpoints do not validate the caller's role, the requests execute with the plugin's intended administrative effect. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for Easy WP Optimizer for endpoint-level details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-32147
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests to admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php originating from non-administrator sessions referencing Easy WP Optimizer actions
- Modifications to WordPress optimization settings, scheduled tasks, or database records without a corresponding administrator login event
- Newly registered low-privileged accounts followed by repeated requests to plugin endpoints
Detection Strategies
- Inspect WordPress access logs for requests to Easy WP Optimizer action parameters made by users whose roles lack the required capability
- Correlate authentication events with privileged plugin operations to identify role and action mismatches
- Monitor file integrity for changes to wp-options, plugin configuration tables, and optimizer-related cron entries
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose WordPress audit logging with role context for every administrative action
- Forward web server and PHP logs to a centralized analytics platform for correlation across sessions and source IPs
- Alert on bursts of authenticated requests to plugin endpoints from accounts that have never accessed the admin dashboard
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-32147
Immediate Actions Required
- Disable the Easy WP Optimizer plugin until a vendor-released patch addressing CVE-2025-32147 is installed
- Audit all WordPress user accounts and remove or suspend untrusted low-privileged users
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and /wp-admin/admin-post.php using a web application firewall ruleset
Patch Information
No fixed version is identified in the available advisory data. The vulnerability affects Easy WP Optimizer through version 1.1.0. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the WordPress plugin repository for an updated release that introduces proper capability checks and nonce validation.
Workarounds
- Remove the plugin entirely if a patched version is not yet available
- Apply WAF rules that block unauthenticated and subscriber-level requests to plugin action endpoints
- Enforce least-privilege user registration policies and disable open registration where business requirements permit
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
