CVE-2025-53197 Overview
CVE-2025-53197 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Cookiebot WordPress plugin. The flaw affects Cookiebot versions up to and including 4.5.8. An attacker can trick an authenticated user into submitting a forged request that performs unintended actions within the plugin's context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352 and requires user interaction to succeed. Exploitation occurs over the network without prior authentication by the attacker.
Critical Impact
An attacker can leverage a victim's authenticated session to modify Cookiebot plugin settings on a WordPress site, resulting in limited integrity impact.
Affected Products
- Cookiebot WordPress plugin versions up to and including 4.5.8
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable Cookiebot plugin installed and active
- All WordPress deployments relying on Cookiebot for consent management prior to the patched release
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-53197 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-53197
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-53197 stems from missing or improper CSRF protections in the Cookiebot WordPress plugin. The plugin fails to validate the origin or intent of state-changing requests. An attacker crafts a malicious page or link that triggers a request to the target WordPress site. When an authenticated administrator visits the attacker's page, the browser automatically sends the forged request with valid session cookies. The server processes the request as legitimate because it cannot distinguish it from an intended action.
The attack requires user interaction, meaning an administrator must click a link or load a page containing the exploit payload. The impact is limited to integrity — the attacker cannot directly read data but can alter plugin configuration. Confidentiality and availability remain unaffected according to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of anti-CSRF tokens (such as WordPress nonces) or the improper verification of such tokens on sensitive endpoints. WordPress provides wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() helpers, and any bypass or omission of these controls exposes the plugin to CSRF. The plugin trusts requests solely based on session cookies without confirming the request originated from a legitimate user action.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a malicious HTML page containing a form or JavaScript that auto-submits a request to a vulnerable WordPress admin endpoint. The attacker then lures an authenticated WordPress administrator to visit the page through phishing or social engineering. The victim's browser transmits authentication cookies alongside the forged request, and the plugin processes the change without verifying user intent. No exploit code or public proof-of-concept is currently documented for CVE-2025-53197.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53197
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to Cookiebot plugin configuration or consent settings in the WordPress admin dashboard
- POST requests to Cookiebot administrative endpoints originating from external Referer headers unrelated to the target site
- WordPress audit log entries showing plugin setting modifications without corresponding administrator activity
Detection Strategies
- Monitor WordPress access logs for state-changing HTTP requests to Cookiebot admin URLs lacking a valid same-origin Referer
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to flag requests to /wp-admin/ endpoints missing expected nonce parameters
- Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to capture plugin configuration changes and correlate them with authenticated sessions
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track administrator sessions and cross-reference plugin setting modifications with expected administrative workflows
- Alert on HTTP requests to Cookiebot endpoints containing off-site Referer values or missing X-Requested-With headers
- Review WordPress database revisions and options tables for unexplained changes to cookiebot-prefixed entries
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53197
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Cookiebot WordPress plugin to a version later than 4.5.8 as soon as a patched release is available from the vendor
- Restrict WordPress administrator accounts and enforce least privilege for users who manage the Cookiebot plugin
- Educate administrators about phishing and CSRF risks, and require them to log out of the WordPress admin when finished
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the most current remediation guidance. Apply the vendor-supplied update through the WordPress plugin manager once released. Verify the plugin version in the WordPress admin dashboard after the update completes.
Workarounds
- Temporarily deactivate the Cookiebot plugin if a patched version is not yet available and consent management is not business-critical
- Deploy a WAF policy that enforces Referer and Origin header validation for requests targeting /wp-admin/admin.php and Cookiebot endpoints
- Require administrators to use isolated browser sessions or dedicated browsers when accessing the WordPress admin interface
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
