CVE-2025-46232 Overview
CVE-2025-46232 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Download Alt Text AI WordPress plugin developed by alttextai. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 1.9.93. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks to perform actions that should be restricted to higher-privileged users. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected WordPress installations.
Critical Impact
Authenticated low-privilege users can bypass access control restrictions in the Download Alt Text AI plugin, leading to unauthorized actions on WordPress sites running versions <= 1.9.93.
Affected Products
- alttextai Download Alt Text AI WordPress plugin
- Versions from n/a through 1.9.93
- WordPress installations with the alttext-ai plugin enabled
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-22 - CVE-2025-46232 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46232
Vulnerability Analysis
The Download Alt Text AI plugin fails to enforce proper authorization checks on one or more of its endpoints or actions. Under [CWE-862] Missing Authorization, the application performs sensitive operations without verifying that the requesting user holds the required capability. An attacker who already possesses a low-privileged WordPress account, such as a subscriber, can call protected functionality directly.
The vulnerability requires network access and low privileges with no user interaction. Successful exploitation produces high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the WordPress instance. According to the EPSS model, the exploitation probability is currently low, but the attack complexity is low and no proof-of-concept code is publicly available at this time.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence or improper implementation of capability checks such as current_user_can() and nonce verification on plugin actions. WordPress plugins must validate both the user's role and a valid nonce before executing privileged operations. When these checks are missing, any authenticated session can invoke the vulnerable handlers.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to the target WordPress site using any low-privileged account. The attacker then sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint, typically an AJAX action handler exposed under admin-ajax.php or a REST route. Because the plugin does not validate the user's capabilities, the request executes with elevated effect on plugin-managed data and settings. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46232
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests to admin-ajax.php containing plugin-specific actions originating from subscriber-level accounts.
- Modifications to alt text fields, plugin settings, or media metadata performed by users who lack editorial privileges.
- New or modified entries in plugin option tables that do not correlate with administrator activity.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor WordPress audit logs for plugin actions executed by users below the editor role.
- Inspect web server access logs for repeated requests targeting alttext-ai plugin endpoints from authenticated sessions with low capability.
- Compare plugin version inventory across WordPress sites and flag any installation at version 1.9.93 or earlier.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to capture role-aware events on plugin handlers.
- Forward web server and PHP error logs to a centralized log platform and alert on anomalous AJAX action invocations.
- Track outbound API calls made by the plugin to detect abuse of integrated AI services after exploitation.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46232
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running the Download Alt Text AI plugin at version 1.9.93 or earlier.
- Update the plugin to the latest patched release supplied by the vendor as listed in the Patchstack advisory.
- Audit existing low-privilege user accounts and remove any that are inactive or unrecognized.
Patch Information
Upgrade the Download Alt Text AI plugin to a version newer than 1.9.93. Refer to the Patchstack vulnerability record for the fixed version once published by the vendor. No vendor advisory URL is currently provided in the NVD entry beyond the Patchstack reference.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the alttext-ai plugin until a patched version can be installed.
- Restrict registration to trusted users only and disable open subscriber sign-ups on public WordPress sites.
- Place the WordPress administration interface behind a web application firewall rule that blocks unauthenticated and low-privilege calls to plugin AJAX actions.
# Configuration example: list and update the vulnerable plugin using WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=alttext-ai --fields=name,status,version
wp plugin update alttext-ai
wp plugin deactivate alttext-ai # if a patched version is not yet available
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
