CVE-2025-49234 Overview
CVE-2025-49234 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the WP Dummy Content Generator plugin for WordPress, developed by Deepak Anand. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 3.4.6. It allows authenticated users with low privileges to delete arbitrary user accounts on the affected WordPress site. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-862] Missing Authorization and stems from incorrectly configured access control checks within plugin functionality exposed to authenticated requests.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with low-level privileges can delete arbitrary WordPress user accounts, including administrators, resulting in loss of site availability and account integrity.
Affected Products
- WP Dummy Content Generator plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 3.4.6
- WordPress sites with the wp-dummy-content-generator plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-17 - CVE-2025-49234 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49234
Vulnerability Analysis
The WP Dummy Content Generator plugin exposes functionality to generate and manage test users and dummy content. Endpoints that perform destructive actions, specifically user deletion, do not correctly verify the requesting user's capabilities. According to the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory, the issue is categorized as an arbitrary user deletion flaw.
An attacker with a low-privileged authenticated session, such as a Subscriber, can invoke the vulnerable action and specify a target user ID. The plugin proceeds to delete the specified account without confirming the caller holds the delete_users capability. Removing administrator accounts can result in loss of site control and forced re-provisioning of privileged users.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing capability enforcement on plugin request handlers. WordPress requires developers to call current_user_can() and validate a nonce with check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce() before performing sensitive operations. The affected handler in wp-dummy-content-generator omits these checks, allowing any authenticated user to reach the deletion logic.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and a valid authenticated session at any privilege level. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin action with a chosen user ID parameter. No user interaction from an administrator is required. The vulnerability yields no confidentiality or integrity impact against data content, but it produces high availability impact through arbitrary account destruction.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been published. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory for advisory-level technical details.
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Stop Identity AttacksDetection Methods for CVE-2025-49234
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected deletion of WordPress user accounts, particularly administrators, without corresponding audit entries from privileged sessions
- HTTP POST or GET requests to admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific endpoints referencing wp-dummy-content-generator actions from low-privileged accounts
- New Subscriber-level accounts registering shortly before user deletion events
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress activity logs for delete_user events initiated by non-administrative accounts
- Correlate web server access logs against plugin action parameters that reference user identifiers
- Alert on any HTTP request to plugin endpoints containing parameters such as user_id or delete originating from sessions without manage_options capability
Monitoring Recommendations
- Deploy a WordPress audit logging plugin to capture user lifecycle events with source IP and session identifiers
- Forward web server and WordPress audit logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation with authentication events
- Baseline the volume of user deletions and alert on deviations, especially bursts of deletion activity from a single session
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49234
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the WP Dummy Content Generator plugin from production WordPress sites until a fixed version is verified
- Audit existing WordPress user accounts and re-provision any removed administrator accounts from backup
- Restrict registration to trusted users and disable open self-registration where operationally feasible
Patch Information
At the time of the NVD entry, no fixed version beyond 3.4.6 is referenced in the advisory. Monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org page for a patched release. Update immediately when a version above 3.4.6 that explicitly addresses CVE-2025-49234 is published.
Workarounds
- Remove the wp-dummy-content-generator plugin directory from wp-content/plugins/ on production hosts
- Apply a web application firewall rule that blocks requests to the plugin's AJAX and admin action endpoints from non-administrator sessions
- Enforce least privilege by limiting user roles and reviewing accounts with the ability to authenticate to the WordPress admin area
# Example WordPress CLI commands to disable the plugin and audit users
wp plugin deactivate wp-dummy-content-generator
wp plugin delete wp-dummy-content-generator
wp user list --role=administrator --fields=ID,user_login,user_email,user_registered
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
