CVE-2025-49441: Florida Map Plugin Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-49441 Overview

CVE-2025-49441 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the WP Map Plugins Interactive Regional Map of Florida WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions of interactive-map-of-florida from initial release through version 1.0. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to interact with plugin functionality that should require elevated privileges. The issue is network-exploitable, requires no authentication, and no user interaction. Successful exploitation results in a limited integrity impact on affected WordPress sites.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can invoke restricted plugin actions on affected WordPress sites, leading to unauthorized modification of plugin-controlled data.

Affected Products

WP Map Plugins Interactive Regional Map of Florida (interactive-map-of-florida)
All versions from initial release through 1.0
WordPress installations with the plugin active

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-49441 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49441

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks in the Interactive Regional Map of Florida WordPress plugin. The plugin exposes functionality that fails to verify whether the requesting user holds the required capability or role before executing sensitive operations. This class of flaw is tracked as Broken Access Control and mapped to [CWE-862] Missing Authorization.

Because the affected endpoints are reachable over the network without authentication, an unauthenticated remote actor can send crafted HTTP requests directly to the plugin. The confidentiality and availability of the host system are not directly impacted, but integrity of plugin-managed data is affected. The EPSS score is approximately 0.22%, indicating a low predicted probability of exploitation in the near term.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of a capability check (for example, current_user_can()) or nonce validation (check_admin_referer() / wp_verify_nonce()) on one or more plugin action handlers. WordPress plugins must enforce authorization on every AJAX action, admin-post handler, and REST route that mutates state. When these checks are omitted, action security levels are effectively set to public.

Attack Vector

An attacker sends an HTTP request over the network to the vulnerable plugin endpoint on a WordPress site that has the plugin installed and activated. No credentials, tokens, or user interaction are required. The request invokes the underprotected handler and performs an action the caller should not be entitled to execute.

No public proof-of-concept or exploit code has been published for CVE-2025-49441. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for the vendor advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49441

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected HTTP POST requests from unauthenticated sources to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or /wp-admin/admin-post.php referencing plugin actions tied to interactive-map-of-florida.
WordPress options table or plugin-specific tables modified without a corresponding authenticated administrator session in access logs.
Web server access log entries showing repeated requests to plugin endpoints from a single IP with no prior authenticated session.

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress sites and identify any installation with the Interactive Regional Map of Florida plugin at version 1.0 or earlier.
Correlate WordPress audit logs with web server access logs to flag privileged plugin actions triggered by unauthenticated requests.
Deploy WAF rules that require an authenticated session cookie for plugin AJAX and admin-post actions.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on WordPress AJAX and REST endpoints and forward events to a central SIEM for correlation.
Alert on any modification of plugin configuration or map data made outside a valid administrator session.
Track outbound requests from the WordPress host for signs of chained abuse following unauthorized configuration changes.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49441

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress sites running Interactive Regional Map of Florida version 1.0 or earlier and deactivate the plugin until a patched release is available.
Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and /wp-admin/admin-post.php for unauthenticated clients where operationally feasible.
Review WordPress and web server logs for prior exploitation attempts against plugin endpoints.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no fixed version has been listed in the NVD entry or the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report. Monitor the vendor advisory and the WordPress plugin repository for a release above version 1.0 that adds capability and nonce checks.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the interactive-map-of-florida plugin until an updated version is published.
Place a WAF rule in front of WordPress that blocks unauthenticated requests to plugin action handlers referencing the map plugin.
Enforce IP allowlisting on the WordPress admin directory for administrators and content editors.

bash

# Configuration example: block unauthenticated access to the plugin's admin-ajax actions via nginx
location = /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php {
    if ($arg_action ~* "interactive_?map_?of_?florida") {
        if ($http_cookie !~* "wordpress_logged_in_") {
            return 403;
        }
    }
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass php_upstream;
}