CVE-2025-49375 Overview
CVE-2025-49375 is a missing authorization vulnerability affecting the HomeLancer WordPress theme developed by cozythemes. The flaw stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels in versions up to and including 1.0.1. Authenticated attackers with low-privilege accounts can exploit the vulnerability over the network to access functionality or data that should be restricted. The issue is tracked under CWE-862: Missing Authorization and impacts both confidentiality and integrity at a limited scope.
Critical Impact
Authenticated users can bypass access control checks in HomeLancer to interact with restricted theme functionality, potentially modifying or reading data outside their authorization scope.
Affected Products
- cozythemes HomeLancer WordPress theme versions through 1.0.1
- WordPress sites running vulnerable HomeLancer installations
- Any deployment exposing low-privilege authenticated endpoints from this theme
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-22 - CVE-2025-49375 published to NVD
- 2026-04-27 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49375
Vulnerability Analysis
The HomeLancer theme exposes one or more action handlers that fail to verify whether the requesting user holds the appropriate capability before executing privileged operations. The theme relies on user authentication alone rather than checking explicit WordPress capabilities such as manage_options or per-action nonces tied to roles. As a result, any authenticated user, including subscriber-level accounts created through open registration, can invoke restricted functionality.
The vulnerability falls under broken access control, where the application enforces authentication but not authorization. Successful exploitation grants limited read and write access to theme-managed resources without elevating the underlying WordPress role. The attack proceeds over the network, requires low privileges, and needs no user interaction.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability checks in HomeLancer action handlers up to version 1.0.1. WordPress themes must call current_user_can() and validate nonces with check_ajax_referer() before performing state-changing operations. HomeLancer omits these checks on affected endpoints, allowing logged-in users to perform actions intended for administrators or content owners.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to the target WordPress site, typically as a subscriber or customer. The attacker then issues HTTP requests to vulnerable theme endpoints such as admin-ajax.php actions or custom REST routes registered by HomeLancer. Because the handlers do not verify user capabilities, the server processes the requests and returns or modifies protected data. No exploitation code is publicly available at this time, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
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Stop Identity AttacksDetection Methods for CVE-2025-49375
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php from low-privilege user sessions referencing HomeLancer-specific action names
- Successful HTTP 200 responses to theme REST endpoints from accounts lacking administrative roles
- Unauthorized modifications to theme settings, listings, or user-generated content within HomeLancer-managed sections
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress access logs for repeated calls to HomeLancer action handlers originating from subscriber or customer accounts
- Review the wp_options and theme-specific tables for changes made by non-administrator users
- Correlate authenticated session activity with privileged operations that should require elevated capabilities
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to capture role-based action attempts and capability failures
- Forward web server and PHP error logs to a centralized SIEM for anomaly detection on theme endpoints
- Alert on creation of new low-privilege accounts followed by immediate access to theme administrative routes
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49375
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all WordPress installations and identify sites running the HomeLancer theme at version 1.0.1 or earlier
- Disable open user registration on affected sites until a patched version is deployed
- Restrict access to admin-ajax.php and REST API endpoints via web application firewall rules for non-administrative users
Patch Information
No fixed version has been confirmed in the published CVE data. Monitor the Patchstack advisory and the cozythemes vendor channel for an updated release beyond 1.0.1 that introduces proper capability checks.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the HomeLancer theme and switch to a maintained alternative until a patched release is available
- Apply virtual patching at the WAF layer to block unauthenticated and low-privilege access to HomeLancer action handlers
- Enforce least-privilege role assignment and remove unnecessary subscriber accounts created through public registration
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
