CVE-2025-49988: CF7 AWeber Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49988 Overview

CVE-2025-49988 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Renzo Johnson Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects the integrate-contact-form-7-and-aweber plugin in all versions up to and including 0.1.40. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks over the network. The vulnerability produces a limited availability impact on affected WordPress installations without requiring user interaction or privileges.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can invoke restricted plugin functionality due to missing capability checks, resulting in a low-level availability impact on the WordPress site.

Affected Products

Renzo Johnson Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension (integrate-contact-form-7-and-aweber)
Versions from n/a through 0.1.40
WordPress installations running the vulnerable plugin

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-20 - CVE-2025-49988 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49988

Vulnerability Analysis

The Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension plugin exposes one or more endpoints that fail to verify the requester's authorization. The issue is classified under [CWE-862] Missing Authorization, meaning the code executes privileged actions without confirming the caller holds the required capabilities or role. Attackers reach the vulnerable functionality directly over HTTP without authenticating.

The impact is limited to availability. Confidentiality and integrity are not affected according to the published CVSS metrics. This scoping suggests the exposed action can disrupt plugin operation or trigger resource-consuming behavior rather than exfiltrate data or modify content.

The plugin integrates Contact Form 7 with the AWeber email marketing service. Missing authorization in this class of plugin typically affects administrative actions such as settings changes, cache clearing, or API key management functions that ship without current_user_can() or nonce checks.

Root Cause

The root cause is an incorrectly configured access control check in plugin code up to version 0.1.40. Handler functions registered via admin-ajax.php, REST routes, or admin_init hooks lack proper capability verification. WordPress does not enforce authorization implicitly; plugin authors must call current_user_can() and validate nonces on every privileged handler.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires only network access to the target WordPress site. An attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. Because no privileges are required and no user interaction is needed, automated scanning tools can identify and abuse vulnerable installations at scale. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for endpoint-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49988

Indicators of Compromise

Unauthenticated POST or GET requests to admin-ajax.php with action parameters tied to the AWeber extension
Unexpected changes to plugin configuration or AWeber integration settings
Repeated anonymous requests to plugin-specific REST endpoints under /wp-json/

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress installations and flag any running integrate-contact-form-7-and-aweber at version 0.1.40 or earlier
Inspect webserver access logs for anonymous requests targeting plugin AJAX or REST handlers
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that requires authenticated sessions on plugin administrative actions

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward WordPress access logs and PHP error logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation
Alert on spikes in admin-ajax.php traffic without a valid wordpress_logged_in_* cookie
Monitor plugin file integrity to detect tampering with configuration files

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49988

Immediate Actions Required

Identify every WordPress site running the Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension plugin
Update the plugin to a fixed release beyond version 0.1.40 once available from the vendor
Deactivate and remove the plugin if a patched version is not yet published and the integration is not business-critical

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects all versions through 0.1.40. Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the WordPress plugin repository for the current fixed release. Apply the update through the WordPress admin dashboard or via wp-cli using wp plugin update integrate-contact-form-7-and-aweber.

Workarounds

Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and plugin REST routes through a WAF rule requiring authentication
Disable the plugin until a fixed version is installed to eliminate the exposed handlers
Apply IP allowlisting on the WordPress administrative surface for environments where the plugin cannot be removed

bash

# Configuration example
wp plugin deactivate integrate-contact-form-7-and-aweber
wp plugin update integrate-contact-form-7-and-aweber