CVE-2025-49888 Overview
CVE-2025-49888 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the pimwick PW WooCommerce On Sale! WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.39. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks to perform actions reserved for higher-privileged users. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without user interaction. Successful exploitation can modify plugin-managed data and disrupt store availability on affected WooCommerce sites.
Critical Impact
Authenticated low-privilege users can bypass authorization checks in the PW WooCommerce On Sale! plugin and trigger actions that compromise integrity and availability of WooCommerce store data.
Affected Products
- pimwick PW WooCommerce On Sale! plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 1.39
- WooCommerce stores running the vulnerable plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-16 - CVE-2025-49888 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-49888
Vulnerability Analysis
The PW WooCommerce On Sale! plugin exposes one or more action handlers that fail to verify the caller's capability or role before executing privileged operations. The plugin relies on access control checks that are either missing or incorrectly configured. Any authenticated WordPress user, including subscriber-level accounts on sites allowing open registration, can invoke these endpoints. The result is broken access control affecting sale price management and related WooCommerce data.
The vulnerability falls under Common Weakness Enumeration [CWE-862] Missing Authorization. The plugin code likely registers AJAX or admin-post handlers without invoking current_user_can() checks or by checking capabilities that low-privilege users already possess. WordPress nonce verification alone does not constitute authorization. The plugin must explicitly validate that the calling user holds an appropriate capability such as manage_woocommerce.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of proper capability verification on plugin action handlers. Developers either omitted the current_user_can() check entirely or used an insufficient capability that is granted to lower-tier roles. This allows requests authenticated as any logged-in user to reach functions intended for store administrators.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to the target WordPress site using any valid account. The attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints, supplying parameters that trigger the protected functionality. Because the handler does not enforce authorization, WordPress executes the action with the attacker's request data. The attack vector is network-based, low complexity, and requires no user interaction. EPSS data places the exploitation probability at approximately 0.226% as of June 2026.
For exploitation specifics and proof-of-concept context, see the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Advisory.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49888
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to WooCommerce sale prices, discount configurations, or product attributes managed by the plugin
- Requests to plugin-specific AJAX actions (admin-ajax.php?action=pw_*) originating from low-privilege user sessions
- New or unfamiliar subscriber-level accounts created shortly before suspicious WooCommerce data changes
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress access logs for POST requests to admin-ajax.php and admin-post.php with pw-woocommerce-on-sale related action parameters from non-administrator users
- Compare WooCommerce product and sale metadata against known-good baselines to identify unauthorized changes
- Review the WordPress audit trail for actions performed by accounts that should not have store management capabilities
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for WordPress plugin AJAX endpoints and forward logs to a centralized SIEM
- Alert on high-rate requests to admin-ajax.php from authenticated subscriber or customer accounts
- Monitor changes to WooCommerce product metadata and inventory tables for out-of-band modifications
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49888
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations running PW WooCommerce On Sale! version 1.39 or earlier
- Apply the vendor patch as soon as it is released by pimwick and listed on Patchstack
- Restrict new user registration or require manual approval on affected WooCommerce sites until the patch is applied
- Review recent administrator and store data changes for evidence of unauthorized modification
Patch Information
At the time of NVD publication, the affected range is documented as n/a through <= 1.39. Administrators should consult the Patchstack advisory for the fixed version and update through the WordPress plugin manager once available.
Workarounds
- Temporarily deactivate the PW WooCommerce On Sale! plugin until a fixed version is installed
- Apply virtual patching at the web application firewall to block requests to vulnerable plugin endpoints from non-administrator users
- Audit user roles and remove unnecessary low-privilege accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation
# Identify the installed plugin version on a WordPress host
wp plugin get pw-woocommerce-on-sale --field=version
# Deactivate the plugin as a temporary workaround
wp plugin deactivate pw-woocommerce-on-sale
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
