CVE-2025-48303 Overview
CVE-2025-48303 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Post Type Converter WordPress plugin developed by Kevin Langley Jr. The flaw impacts all versions of post-type-converter up to and including 0.6. The plugin lacks proper anti-CSRF token validation on state-changing requests, allowing attackers to trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as clicking a crafted link while logged into WordPress. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery.
Critical Impact
An attacker can leverage a victim's authenticated WordPress session to convert post types without consent, leading to limited integrity impact on site content.
Affected Products
- Kevin Langley Jr. Post Type Converter plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 0.6
- WordPress sites with post-type-converter installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-25 - CVE-2025-48303 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-48303
Vulnerability Analysis
The Post Type Converter plugin exposes functionality that changes the post type of existing WordPress content. The plugin fails to verify the origin of incoming requests to these actions. Without a valid WordPress nonce check or equivalent CSRF protection, an attacker can forge requests that execute in the context of an authenticated administrator or editor.
The vulnerability requires the victim to visit an attacker-controlled page while authenticated to the target WordPress site. When triggered, the browser silently submits a request to the vulnerable endpoint using the victim's session cookies. The EPSS score is 0.116%, indicating a low probability of exploitation observed in the wild.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or improperly implemented CSRF token validation on privileged plugin actions. WordPress provides wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() primitives that the plugin does not enforce on the post type conversion handler. The absence of these checks allows any cross-origin request bearing valid session cookies to succeed.
Attack Vector
Exploitation follows a standard CSRF pattern. The attacker crafts an HTML page containing a hidden form or image tag that targets the plugin's action endpoint on the victim's WordPress site. When an authenticated user with sufficient privileges loads the attacker page, the browser submits the request with the user's cookies attached. The server processes the request as legitimate because no origin or token validation occurs. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for additional technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48303
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to post types across WordPress content, particularly bulk conversions performed outside normal editorial workflow
- WordPress access logs showing POST requests to post-type-converter plugin endpoints with Referer headers pointing to external domains
- Administrator or editor account activity coinciding with visits to untrusted external sites
Detection Strategies
- Audit the WordPress wp_posts table for recent post_type column changes without corresponding user-initiated actions in the admin interface
- Review web server access logs for requests to plugin endpoints missing valid _wpnonce parameters
- Correlate authenticated session activity with browser history or proxy logs to identify visits to attacker-controlled pages preceding unauthorized changes
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to capture post type modifications with timestamp and originating user context
- Monitor HTTP Referer and Origin headers on admin-ajax and admin-post requests to detect cross-origin submissions
- Alert on privileged account actions originating from unusual referrers or without expected CSRF tokens
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48303
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Post Type Converter plugin until a patched version is available
- Restrict administrative access to trusted networks or require reauthentication for sensitive operations
- Educate administrators and editors to log out of WordPress sessions when not actively working in the admin dashboard
Patch Information
No fixed version has been published by the vendor as of the last NVD update. Users should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin repository for updates beyond version 0.6.
Workarounds
- Remove the plugin entirely if post type conversion functionality is not business-critical
- Deploy a web application firewall rule requiring valid Referer and Origin headers on WordPress admin endpoints
- Enforce browser-level protections such as SameSite=Strict cookies on WordPress authentication cookies where feasible
# Configuration example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate post-type-converter
wp plugin delete post-type-converter
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
