CVE-2025-46436 Overview
CVE-2025-46436 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the SCSS-Library WordPress plugin developed by Sebastian Echeverry. The flaw impacts all versions of the plugin up to and including 0.4.1. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352 and requires user interaction to trigger. An attacker can craft a malicious web page or link that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, submits unauthorized state-changing requests to the affected WordPress site.
Critical Impact
Attackers can trick authenticated users into executing unintended actions on the WordPress site, resulting in limited integrity impact without requiring valid credentials.
Affected Products
- SCSS-Library plugin (scss-library) for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 0.4.1
- Vendor: Sebastian Echeverry
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-24 - CVE-2025-46436 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46436
Vulnerability Analysis
The SCSS-Library plugin fails to implement proper CSRF protection on one or more state-changing endpoints. WordPress provides a nonce mechanism through functions such as wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() to validate that requests originate from legitimate user actions. The plugin does not consistently verify these tokens before performing sensitive operations.
Exploitation requires an authenticated victim, typically an administrator, to visit an attacker-controlled page while logged into the target WordPress site. The browser automatically includes session cookies with any cross-origin request, allowing the forged request to execute with the victim's privileges.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing or improperly validated anti-CSRF token on plugin request handlers. Without nonce verification, the plugin cannot distinguish between requests initiated by a legitimate user through the WordPress admin interface and requests forged by a third-party origin.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based with low complexity but requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a page containing a hidden form or JavaScript that auto-submits a request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. When an authenticated administrator visits the attacker's page, the browser sends the request along with valid session cookies. The plugin processes the request as if it originated from the admin dashboard.
No verified public exploit code is available. See the Patchstack Security Advisory for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46436
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to SCSS-Library plugin configuration or compiled stylesheet output
- WordPress access log entries showing POST requests to plugin endpoints with Referer headers from external domains
- Administrator sessions performing plugin actions immediately after visiting untrusted external sites
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress audit logs for plugin-related administrative actions that lack a corresponding valid nonce parameter in the request
- Inspect web server access logs for cross-origin Referer headers on requests to wp-admin endpoints associated with scss-library
- Correlate browser history or proxy logs with the timing of unauthorized plugin configuration changes
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to capture administrative actions with source context
- Alert on plugin setting modifications outside of scheduled maintenance windows
- Monitor for anomalous outbound requests from administrator browsers to newly registered or low-reputation domains
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46436
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the SCSS-Library plugin until a patched version is released by the vendor
- Restrict WordPress administrator accounts from browsing untrusted sites in the same browser session used for site administration
- Enforce the use of dedicated administrative browsers or profiles to reduce cross-origin exposure
Patch Information
No fixed version is identified in the advisory at the time of publication. The vulnerability affects SCSS-Library through version 0.4.1. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack Security Advisory and the plugin repository for an updated release that adds nonce verification to affected request handlers.
Workarounds
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to reject requests to plugin endpoints that lack a valid WordPress nonce parameter
- Configure the WordPress site to enforce a strict SameSite=Lax or SameSite=Strict cookie policy on authentication cookies
- Remove the plugin entirely if SCSS compilation is not required in the production environment
# Configuration example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate scss-library
wp plugin delete scss-library
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
