CVE-2025-49396 Overview
CVE-2025-49396 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Themify Builder WordPress plugin developed by themifyme. The flaw affects all versions of Themify Builder up to and including 7.6.7. The vulnerability stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels [CWE-862], allowing authenticated users with low privileges to perform actions that should require higher authorization. Successful exploitation impacts integrity without affecting confidentiality or availability. The issue was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on August 20, 2025, based on a report submitted through Patchstack.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with low-level access can bypass authorization checks in Themify Builder to perform restricted actions on WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of the plugin.
Affected Products
- Themify Builder plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 7.6.7
- WordPress installations with the vulnerable themify-builder plugin active
- Sites relying on Themify Builder for page building and content management
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-20 - CVE-2025-49396 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49396
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization. Themify Builder exposes one or more actions that fail to verify whether the requesting user holds the required capability. WordPress plugins commonly enforce authorization through current_user_can() checks and nonce validation. When either check is missing or misconfigured, authenticated users with subscriber-level or contributor-level access can invoke functions intended for administrators or editors.
According to the Patchstack Security Vulnerability Report, the flaw is categorized as broken access control affecting the plugin's request handlers. The attack surface is reachable over the network via standard HTTP requests to WordPress endpoints such as admin-ajax.php or REST API routes registered by the plugin.
Root Cause
The root cause is an incorrectly configured access control security level within Themify Builder's action handlers. The plugin registers callbacks that execute privileged operations without validating the caller's role or capabilities. This gap between authentication and authorization is the defining characteristic of [CWE-862] weaknesses.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated account on the target WordPress site. The attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's exposed endpoints, invoking actions that should be gated by capability checks. Because the CVSS vector reports integrity impact only, the abused functions likely allow the modification of plugin-managed content, settings, or builder data rather than the disclosure of sensitive information.
The vulnerability is described in prose because no verified public exploit code is available. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49396
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to Themify Builder page templates, layouts, or settings performed by low-privileged accounts
- HTTP POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing Themify Builder actions originating from subscriber or contributor sessions
- New or altered _themify_builder_* post meta entries created by non-editor accounts
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress access logs for requests to Themify Builder AJAX or REST endpoints made by users lacking editor capabilities
- Review the plugin version in use across all WordPress sites and flag any instance running 7.6.7 or earlier
- Correlate WordPress user activity logs with content changes to identify unauthorized edits
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to capture user actions, capability checks, and content modifications
- Forward web server access logs and WordPress audit events to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation
- Alert on repeated 200-response POST requests to plugin endpoints from accounts that historically only browse content
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49396
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Themify Builder to a version later than 7.6.7 once the vendor publishes a fixed release
- Restrict user registration and audit existing low-privileged accounts for unusual activity
- Enforce strong authentication, including multi-factor authentication, for all WordPress users to reduce the population of accounts able to reach the vulnerable endpoint
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack Security Vulnerability Report for the current patch status and updated version guidance from themifyme. Apply the fixed release across all WordPress sites hosting the plugin and confirm the version through the WordPress admin dashboard.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Themify Builder plugin on sites where it is not actively required until a patched version is deployed
- Deploy a web application firewall rule to block requests to Themify Builder action handlers originating from non-editor sessions
- Temporarily downgrade or disable self-service registration to limit which accounts can authenticate against the site
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
