CVE-2025-48335 Overview
CVE-2025-48335 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the CyberChimps Responsive Plus WordPress plugin (responsive-add-ons). The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.2.0. Attackers with low-privilege authenticated access can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks to perform actions outside their permission scope.
The issue was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on June 6, 2025, and stems from broken access control in plugin endpoints. Successful exploitation can lead to limited integrity and availability impact on affected WordPress sites.
Critical Impact
Authenticated users with minimal privileges can invoke plugin functionality that should be restricted to administrators, enabling unauthorized modifications to site configuration or content.
Affected Products
- CyberChimps Responsive Plus (responsive-add-ons) plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 3.2.0
- WordPress installations with the plugin activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-48335 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-48335
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a Missing Authorization weakness classified under [CWE-862]. The Responsive Plus plugin exposes functionality through endpoints that fail to verify whether the requesting user holds the required capabilities. As a result, subscriber-level or contributor-level accounts can invoke privileged actions.
The attack surface is reachable over the network and requires only low privileges. No user interaction is needed to trigger the flaw. Impact is limited to integrity and availability, with no confidentiality exposure documented in the advisory.
This pattern is common in WordPress plugins that register AJAX or REST routes without pairing capability checks (current_user_can()) or nonce validation with the callback handlers. Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for full technical context.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of proper authorization checks on privileged plugin actions. The plugin registers handlers that execute state-changing operations without validating that the caller has the necessary WordPress capability. Access control decisions rely on incorrect assumptions about the requester's role.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to the target WordPress site using any low-privilege account. They then send crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. Because the endpoints do not enforce capability checks, the attacker can trigger administrative functionality that modifies plugin settings or site content.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Patchstack advisory for further detail on the affected handlers.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48335
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to Responsive Plus plugin settings or imported templates without corresponding admin session activity
- Authenticated HTTP POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin REST routes from accounts lacking administrative roles
- New or modified WordPress options tied to the responsive-add-ons plugin outside of scheduled maintenance windows
Detection Strategies
- Review web server access logs for authenticated requests to responsive-add-ons endpoints originating from subscriber, contributor, or author accounts
- Correlate WordPress user role with the endpoint invoked; flag capability mismatches
- Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to record option changes and privileged action invocations
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on anomalous rates of admin-ajax.php requests tied to the plugin action parameter
- Track newly created or elevated user accounts followed by plugin endpoint activity
- Baseline normal plugin usage patterns and alert on deviations from administrator-only interaction
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48335
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the CyberChimps Responsive Plus plugin to a version later than 3.2.0 once available from the vendor
- Audit all WordPress user accounts and remove unused or unnecessary low-privilege accounts
- Review the plugin's recent settings changes and revert any unauthorized modifications
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update, the advisory references Patchstack for tracking the fix. Administrators should monitor the official plugin repository for a release beyond version 3.2.0 that addresses the missing authorization checks.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the Responsive Plus plugin until a patched version is available if the functionality is not business-critical
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and plugin REST endpoints using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that requires administrator capabilities
- Enforce strong registration controls and disable open user registration to reduce the pool of exploitable low-privilege accounts
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.