CVE-2025-47486: Responsive Plus Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-47486 Overview

CVE-2025-47486 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] affecting the CyberChimps Responsive Plus WordPress plugin (responsive-add-ons). The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.1.9. It allows unauthenticated network attackers to access functionality that is not properly constrained by Access Control Lists (ACLs). Successful exploitation results in a limited integrity impact on affected WordPress sites. The issue was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on May 7, 2025.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can invoke plugin functionality intended for privileged users, enabling unauthorized modification of site content or configuration through the Gutenberg/Elementor templates importer.

Affected Products

CyberChimps Responsive Plus (responsive-add-ons) plugin for WordPress
All versions from initial release through 3.1.9
WordPress installations using the Gutenberg & Elementor templates importer for Responsive

Discovery Timeline

2025-05-07 - CVE-2025-47486 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-47486

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from a broken access control condition in the Responsive Plus plugin. The plugin exposes one or more AJAX or REST endpoints tied to its templates importer functionality without enforcing capability checks or nonce validation. As a result, requests reach privileged handlers without verifying that the caller holds an appropriate WordPress role.

The attack requires network access to the target site and no authentication or user interaction. The scope is unchanged, and only integrity is affected — confidentiality and availability remain intact. An attacker can leverage the exposed functionality to import templates, alter plugin options, or trigger administrative actions constrained by ACLs under normal operation.

The vulnerability class [CWE-862] indicates that the application performs an action without first checking whether the requester is authorized to perform it. In WordPress plugins, this typically means missing current_user_can() capability checks or absent nonce verification on registered endpoints.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of authorization checks on endpoints exposed by the Responsive Plus templates importer. Plugin handlers do not validate the caller's WordPress capabilities before executing privileged operations, allowing anonymous requests to reach code paths reserved for administrators or editors.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is performed remotely over HTTP or HTTPS. An attacker sends crafted requests directly to the vulnerable plugin endpoint on a target WordPress site. Because no credentials or user interaction are required, the flaw can be exercised at scale against internet-facing sites running the plugin at or below version 3.1.9. Detailed technical information is available in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47486

Indicators of Compromise

Unauthenticated POST or GET requests to plugin AJAX endpoints under /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing Responsive Plus template import actions.
Unexpected new pages, posts, or template imports created without an authenticated administrator session in wp-content or the database.
Modifications to plugin options in the wp_options table originating from anonymous request contexts.
Access log entries showing requests to Responsive Plus REST routes from IP addresses not associated with legitimate site administrators.

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for repeated anonymous requests to admin-ajax.php with action parameters tied to the responsive-add-ons plugin.
Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to flag unauthenticated invocations of plugin importer endpoints.
Compare installed plugin versions against 3.1.9 across the estate using inventory tooling to identify vulnerable hosts.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable file integrity monitoring on the wp-content/plugins/responsive-add-ons/ directory and WordPress core content directories.
Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized logging platform for correlation and retention.
Alert on creation of new administrator accounts or unexpected changes to published content following anonymous requests to plugin endpoints.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47486

Immediate Actions Required

Update CyberChimps Responsive Plus to a version later than 3.1.9 as soon as a fixed release is confirmed by the vendor.
If no patched version is available, deactivate and remove the responsive-add-ons plugin from affected WordPress installations.
Audit WordPress content, users, and plugin settings for unauthorized modifications made prior to remediation.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the vulnerability affects Responsive Plus versions from n/a through 3.1.9. Administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the CyberChimps vendor site for the latest patched release and upgrade instructions.

Workarounds

Block external access to the affected plugin endpoints at the WAF or reverse proxy layer until a patched version is deployed.
Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and REST API routes tied to the plugin using IP allowlisting where feasible.
Disable the Responsive Plus plugin on any site that does not actively require the Gutenberg and Elementor templates importer functionality.

bash

# Configuration example: temporarily block plugin endpoints via Nginx
location ~* /wp-content/plugins/responsive-add-ons/ {
    deny all;
    return 403;
}