CVE-2025-53263: Gravity Forms Google Autocomplete CSRF

CVE-2025-53263 Overview

CVE-2025-53263 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability [CWE-352] in the PluginsCafe Address Autocomplete via Google for Gravity Forms WordPress plugin (gf-google-address-autocomplete). The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.3.4. An attacker can trick an authenticated administrator into submitting a forged request that performs unintended state-changing actions within the plugin. Exploitation requires user interaction, typically through a malicious link or crafted page. The vulnerability carries limited integrity and availability impact and no direct confidentiality impact.

Critical Impact
Authenticated administrators visiting attacker-controlled pages can be coerced into executing unauthorized configuration changes in the vulnerable Gravity Forms plugin.

Affected Products

PluginsCafe Address Autocomplete via Google for Gravity Forms plugin (gf-google-address-autocomplete)
All versions from initial release through 1.3.4
WordPress sites running Gravity Forms with this plugin installed

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-53263 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-53263

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing or improperly validated anti-CSRF tokens in state-changing plugin endpoints. WordPress provides wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() primitives to prevent forged requests, but the affected plugin fails to enforce these checks on privileged actions. An attacker who lures an authenticated admin to a malicious page can trigger requests that the browser sends with valid session cookies. The plugin then processes those requests as legitimate administrator actions.

Because the plugin integrates with Gravity Forms and handles Google Places API configuration, forged requests may modify plugin settings, alter API keys, or manipulate form behavior. The impact is bounded by the plugin's scope but can undermine the integrity of form data collection.

Root Cause

The root cause is absence of CSRF token validation on state-changing HTTP requests processed by the plugin. Endpoints accept requests based solely on the presence of an authenticated session cookie, without verifying that the request originated from a trusted context.

Attack Vector

Exploitation follows a standard CSRF pattern. An attacker crafts a webpage containing a hidden form or JavaScript that automatically submits a POST request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. The attacker delivers the URL via phishing, forum posts, or malvertising. When the authenticated WordPress administrator visits the page, the browser attaches session cookies and the vulnerable endpoint processes the forged action. See the Patchstack CSRF Vulnerability Report for advisory details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53263

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to Address Autocomplete plugin settings or Google API key configuration in wp_options
POST requests to plugin admin endpoints containing an HTTP Referer header from external domains
Administrator sessions performing plugin configuration changes shortly after visiting external URLs

Detection Strategies

Audit WordPress access logs for POST requests to wp-admin endpoints related to gf-google-address-autocomplete with foreign or missing Referer headers
Correlate administrator authentication events with subsequent plugin setting modifications to identify anomalous timing
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that flags state-changing requests missing valid WordPress nonces

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to record all administrator setting changes with source IP and referer metadata
Monitor outbound traffic from admin sessions for phishing indicators or unexpected redirects
Alert on modifications to plugin option keys stored in the WordPress database

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53263

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Address Autocomplete via Google for Gravity Forms plugin to a version later than 1.3.4 once released by PluginsCafe
Restrict WordPress administrator accounts to dedicated browsers or sessions not used for general browsing
Enforce multi-factor authentication on all WordPress administrator accounts to reduce session abuse risk

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the Patchstack advisory identifies all versions through 1.3.4 as affected. Site operators should monitor the plugin repository for a fixed release and apply the update immediately upon availability.

Workarounds

Deactivate the gf-google-address-autocomplete plugin until a patched version is available if Address Autocomplete functionality is not essential
Deploy a WAF rule that blocks POST requests to plugin admin endpoints lacking a valid WordPress nonce parameter
Limit administrator access by IP allowlist at the web server or reverse proxy layer to reduce exposure to remote CSRF attempts

bash

# Example: nginx location block restricting plugin admin endpoints by IP
location ~* /wp-admin/admin\.php {
    allow 203.0.113.0/24;
    deny all;
}