CVE-2025-53246 Overview
CVE-2025-53246 is a missing authorization vulnerability affecting the Backup and Move WordPress plugin developed by Gaurav Aggarwal. The flaw impacts all versions up to and including 0.1. The plugin fails to enforce proper access control checks, allowing authenticated users with low privileges to access functionality that should be restricted to administrators. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with low-level privileges can exploit incorrectly configured access control to access sensitive backup functionality, potentially exposing site data and configuration information.
Affected Products
- Gaurav Aggarwal Backup and Move WordPress plugin
- All versions from n/a through 0.1
- WordPress sites using the backup-and-move plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-06 - CVE-2025-53246 published to NVD
- 2026-04-27 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-53246
Vulnerability Analysis
The Backup and Move plugin contains a broken access control flaw rooted in missing authorization checks on sensitive plugin endpoints. The plugin exposes functionality intended for administrative use without verifying the requesting user's capability or role. As a result, any authenticated WordPress user, including subscribers, can invoke restricted operations.
The attack requires network access and low-level authentication. No user interaction is needed for exploitation. The confidentiality impact is high, while integrity and availability remain unaffected based on the published vector. The EPSS score is 0.257%, placing the vulnerability in the 16.865 percentile for likelihood of exploitation.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability checks such as WordPress current_user_can() calls on plugin action handlers. The plugin developer did not validate user permissions before executing backup-related logic. This pattern of missing authorization is a recurring weakness in WordPress plugins that handle privileged operations through AJAX or admin-post handlers.
Attack Vector
An attacker registers or compromises a low-privilege account on the target WordPress site. The attacker then sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint, bypassing the intended administrator-only restriction. Because the plugin does not verify the user's role, the request succeeds and returns backup data or triggers backup-related functionality. Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53246
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected HTTP POST or GET requests to backup-and-move plugin endpoints from non-administrator accounts
- WordPress access logs showing low-privilege user IDs invoking backup-related AJAX actions
- Unauthorized backup file generation or download events in the wp-content directory
- Session activity from subscriber or contributor accounts targeting /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with plugin-specific actions
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress role and capability mappings to identify users accessing backup functions outside their assigned role
- Inspect web server access logs for requests to plugin endpoints correlated with non-admin authenticated sessions
- Deploy a WordPress security plugin or web application firewall ruleset that flags broken access control patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward WordPress audit logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation across authentication and plugin activity
- Alert on backup file creation events outside scheduled maintenance windows
- Monitor for new low-privilege account registrations followed by requests to admin-only plugin endpoints
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53246
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Backup and Move plugin until a patched version is released
- Audit all WordPress user accounts and revoke unnecessary low-privilege registrations
- Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and admin-post endpoints using web application firewall rules
- Review recent backup files for unauthorized access or exfiltration
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no patched version of the Backup and Move plugin is available. The vulnerability affects all releases through version 0.1. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack advisory for updates and consider switching to an actively maintained backup plugin.
Workarounds
- Disable user registration if not required for site functionality
- Replace the Backup and Move plugin with a maintained alternative that enforces capability checks
- Apply virtual patching through a web application firewall to block unauthenticated access to plugin endpoints
- Restrict access to WordPress administrative paths by IP address where feasible
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
