CVE-2025-48242 Overview
CVE-2025-48242 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the wpWax Legal Pages plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.4.5. It stems from incorrectly configured access control on plugin functionality, allowing authenticated users with low privileges to perform actions restricted to higher-privileged roles. The issue is categorized under [CWE-862] Missing Authorization and impacts data confidentiality on affected WordPress sites.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with minimal privileges can access sensitive plugin functionality due to broken access control, resulting in unauthorized disclosure of protected data.
Affected Products
- wpWax Legal Pages plugin for WordPress
- Versions from n/a through 1.4.5
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-19 - CVE-2025-48242 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-48242
Vulnerability Analysis
The Legal Pages plugin exposes functionality without enforcing capability checks on the acting user. WordPress plugins typically rely on current_user_can() checks or nonce validation to gate sensitive endpoints. In vulnerable versions of Legal Pages, one or more request handlers omit these checks. An authenticated attacker holding a low-privilege role such as Subscriber can reach functionality intended for administrators.
The impact is limited to confidentiality according to the CVSS vector. Integrity and availability are not affected. The attacker must possess valid credentials on the target WordPress site, which lowers the barrier on sites that permit open registration.
Root Cause
The root cause is an absent authorization check on plugin request handlers. The plugin defines actions accessible over standard WordPress AJAX or admin-post endpoints without verifying that the requesting user holds the required capability. This aligns with [CWE-862] Missing Authorization, where code performs a security-relevant action without confirming the caller is authorized.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network against the WordPress site. The attacker authenticates using any valid account, then issues a crafted HTTP request to a vulnerable plugin endpoint. Because the handler does not verify capabilities, the request executes with the plugin's intended privileges rather than the caller's actual role. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for endpoint specifics.
No verified public exploit code is available at this time. The current EPSS probability is 0.379%.
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Stop Identity AttacksDetection Methods for CVE-2025-48242
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected HTTP POST requests to admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php originating from low-privileged accounts targeting Legal Pages actions
- Requests to plugin endpoints under /wp-content/plugins/legal-pages/ from user sessions lacking administrator capabilities
- New or modified legal page content changes not tied to administrator activity in WordPress audit logs
Detection Strategies
- Inspect WordPress access logs for authenticated requests referencing Legal Pages plugin actions from Subscriber or Contributor accounts
- Deploy a web application firewall rule set that blocks unauthenticated or under-privileged access to plugin AJAX handlers
- Correlate WordPress user role data with request patterns to flag capability mismatches
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to record role-based action attempts and configuration changes
- Alert on spikes in admin-ajax.php requests referencing Legal Pages action parameters from non-administrator sessions
- Monitor for creation of unexpected user accounts that could serve as low-privilege footholds for exploitation
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48242
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations running the wpWax Legal Pages plugin at version 1.4.5 or earlier
- Disable or deactivate the plugin until a patched release is applied
- Review WordPress user rosters and remove or restrict unnecessary low-privilege accounts, especially on sites permitting open registration
- Audit legal page content for unauthorized modifications introduced by non-administrator users
Patch Information
At the time of publication, refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest fixed version guidance. Upgrade Legal Pages to the version noted in the vendor advisory once released. Enable automatic plugin updates in the WordPress dashboard to receive fixes as they publish.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the Legal Pages plugin until an updated version is available
- Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and wp-admin/admin-post.php through a WAF policy that enforces role-based rules
- Disable open user registration under Settings > General > Membership to reduce the pool of accounts that can authenticate
- Apply the principle of least privilege by auditing existing account roles and demoting unnecessary privileges
# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI as a temporary control
wp plugin deactivate legal-pages
# Confirm installed plugin version prior to remediation
wp plugin get legal-pages --field=version
# Disable open user registration to limit authenticated attack surface
wp option update users_can_register 0
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
