CVE-2025-32256: SurveyJS Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-32256 Overview

CVE-2025-32256 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] affecting the devsoftbaltic SurveyJS plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up through 1.12.20. Unauthenticated attackers can access functionality that should be restricted by access control lists (ACLs). The issue was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on April 4, 2025.

The vulnerability carries a network-based attack vector requiring no authentication and no user interaction. Successful exploitation impacts availability of the affected WordPress site through unrestricted access to plugin functionality intended for privileged users.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can invoke SurveyJS plugin functionality that lacks proper authorization checks, potentially affecting site availability and integrity of survey data.

Affected Products

devsoftbaltic SurveyJS WordPress plugin versions up to and including 1.12.20
WordPress installations with the SurveyJS plugin active
Sites running SurveyJS without the vendor-supplied patch

Discovery Timeline

2025-04-04 - CVE-2025-32256 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-32256

Vulnerability Analysis

The SurveyJS plugin exposes one or more endpoints that fail to enforce authorization checks before executing privileged operations. Under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), the code path executes without validating whether the requesting user holds the required capability or role. Any network client capable of reaching the WordPress site can trigger the affected functionality.

According to the Patchstack advisory, the flaw is classified as a broken access control issue in the plugin. The vulnerability does not require credentials or user interaction, making it trivially reachable across any exposed WordPress instance. The impact is scoped to availability, indicating that attackers can disrupt plugin operations or associated site functionality rather than exfiltrate confidential data or modify arbitrary content.

EPSS data indicates a probability of approximately 0.35% for exploitation activity in the near term. No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently listed, and the vulnerability is not present on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of capability or nonce validation on one or more plugin request handlers. WordPress plugins typically enforce authorization using current_user_can() checks and check_ajax_referer() for AJAX endpoints. When these guards are omitted, callable actions become accessible to any HTTP client. The SurveyJS plugin ships handlers that reach sensitive logic paths without confirming the caller has the required privileges.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends crafted HTTP requests directly to the vulnerable plugin endpoints on a target WordPress installation. Because no authentication is required, the request can originate from any internet-connected host. The attacker does not need to interact with a legitimate user or leverage social engineering.

The vulnerability manifests in the plugin's request handling logic. No verified proof-of-concept code has been published. Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability advisory for additional technical detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-32256

Indicators of Compromise

Unauthenticated HTTP POST or GET requests to SurveyJS plugin endpoints under /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or /wp-json/ routes
Unexpected changes to survey configurations, submissions, or plugin state without corresponding administrator login events
Anomalous spikes in request volume targeting SurveyJS action parameters

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for requests referencing SurveyJS actions from unauthenticated sessions
Correlate WordPress audit logs with plugin state changes to identify actions executed without an authenticated user context
Deploy WordPress security plugins or WAF rules that flag access to plugin endpoints lacking valid nonces

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on admin-ajax.php and WordPress REST API endpoints exposed by the SurveyJS plugin
Alert on repeated requests to plugin routes originating from a single IP without prior authentication cookies
Track plugin version inventory across WordPress instances and flag any host running SurveyJS 1.12.20 or earlier

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-32256

Immediate Actions Required

Update the SurveyJS plugin to the version released after 1.12.20 that addresses this issue
If a patched release is not yet available, deactivate the SurveyJS plugin until a fix is applied
Audit recent plugin activity for signs of unauthorized invocation of survey management functionality
Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and REST API routes through a web application firewall where feasible

Patch Information

Refer to the Patchstack advisory for SurveyJS for the current patched version. Apply updates through the WordPress plugin management console or by replacing plugin files with the vendor-supplied release.

Workarounds

Disable the SurveyJS plugin on production sites until the vendor patch is installed
Apply WAF rules blocking unauthenticated requests to SurveyJS-specific action parameters
Limit network access to the WordPress admin interface to trusted IP ranges via reverse proxy or .htaccess restrictions

bash

# Example: restrict admin-ajax.php to authenticated sessions using nginx
location = /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php {
    if ($http_cookie !~* "wordpress_logged_in") {
        return 403;
    }
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass php-fpm;
}