CVE-2025-49238: Everest Backup Plugin CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49238 Overview

CVE-2025-49238 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Everest Backup plugin for WordPress, developed by everestthemes. The flaw exists in versions up to and including 2.3.3. An attacker can craft a malicious web page that triggers unauthorized state-changing actions when an authenticated administrator visits it. The plugin fails to properly validate request origin or enforce anti-CSRF tokens on sensitive endpoints. The issue is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery.

Critical Impact
An attacker can trick an authenticated WordPress administrator into performing unintended backup-related actions, potentially affecting site integrity.

Affected Products

Everest Backup WordPress plugin (everest-backup) versions from n/a through 2.3.3
WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the Everest Backup plugin
Administrator sessions on affected WordPress installations

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-49238 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49238

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing or insufficient CSRF protections in the Everest Backup plugin. WordPress provides nonce mechanisms through wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() to validate the origin of state-changing requests. The affected plugin versions do not correctly implement these checks on one or more sensitive endpoints. An attacker exploiting this issue must convince an authenticated administrator to interact with attacker-controlled content, such as clicking a link or loading a page containing a hidden form. The request executes under the administrator's authenticated session, bypassing perimeter authentication controls. The scope is limited to integrity impact according to the CVSS vector, with no direct confidentiality or availability effect.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of proper request origin validation on plugin endpoints that modify state. Without a valid nonce or referer check, the plugin cannot distinguish between a legitimate administrator action initiated from the WordPress dashboard and a forged request originating from a third-party site. This design gap allows cross-origin request forgery against any authenticated administrator.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a page containing a crafted HTTP request targeting a vulnerable Everest Backup endpoint. When an authenticated WordPress administrator visits the attacker's page, the browser automatically includes valid session cookies with the outgoing request. The plugin processes the request as authorized. See the PatchStack advisory for further technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49238

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected entries in WordPress admin activity logs related to Everest Backup operations
HTTP POST requests to Everest Backup plugin endpoints with Referer headers pointing to external domains
Backup creation, deletion, or configuration changes not initiated by legitimate administrators
Access to Everest Backup admin URLs immediately following visits to unrelated external sites

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for POST requests to /wp-admin/admin.php?page=everest-backup* with anomalous Referer values
Monitor plugin audit logs for backup actions occurring outside normal administrative workflows
Correlate administrator browser activity with backup plugin state changes to identify forged requests

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to capture all administrative actions with timestamp and originating IP
Alert on Everest Backup configuration changes performed without a preceding authenticated dashboard navigation event
Track version installations of the everest-backup plugin across managed WordPress sites

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49238

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Everest Backup plugin to a version newer than 2.3.3 as soon as a patched release is available from the vendor
Restrict administrator browsing habits and avoid clicking untrusted links while authenticated to the WordPress admin dashboard
Audit recent backup plugin activity for unauthorized state changes since the plugin was installed

Patch Information

Refer to the PatchStack advisory for CVE-2025-49238 for the latest patch status and remediation guidance. Administrators should apply the vendor-supplied update through the WordPress plugin management interface once available.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Everest Backup plugin until a patched version is deployed if backup functionality is not immediately required
Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule to reject requests to Everest Backup endpoints missing a same-origin Referer header
Enforce administrator session isolation by using a dedicated browser or profile solely for WordPress admin activities

bash

# Example WAF rule concept to block cross-origin POSTs to the plugin
# ModSecurity pseudo-rule
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-admin/admin.php" \
  "chain,deny,status:403,id:1004902,msg:'Blocked cross-origin POST to Everest Backup'"
  SecRule ARGS:page "@rx ^everest-backup" "chain"
  SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "@streq POST" "chain"
  SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Referer "!@beginsWith https://your-wordpress-site.example/"