CVE-2025-53266 Overview
CVE-2025-53266 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the EdwardBock Cron Logger plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of cron-logger from initial release through 1.3.0. Attackers with low-privilege authenticated access can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to interact with plugin functionality reserved for higher-privileged users. The issue is tracked under CWE-862: Missing Authorization and impacts availability of the affected component. Details were published by Patchstack as a broken access control issue.
Critical Impact
Authenticated users with minimal privileges can invoke Cron Logger functionality that should require elevated permissions, enabling limited denial-of-service impact on WordPress sites running vulnerable versions.
Affected Products
- EdwardBock Cron Logger plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through <= 1.3.0
- WordPress installations with the cron-logger plugin activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-53266 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-53266
Vulnerability Analysis
The Cron Logger plugin exposes plugin actions without enforcing sufficient capability or nonce checks. WordPress plugins typically restrict administrative actions using current_user_can() capability checks and check_admin_referer() nonce verification. When these controls are missing or incorrectly scoped, actions intended for administrators become reachable by lower-privileged authenticated roles such as subscribers or contributors.
In this case, requests to plugin endpoints are processed without validating that the requester holds the appropriate capability. This constitutes broken access control at the application layer and directly maps to CWE-862. Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and valid authenticated credentials of any privilege level.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization check on plugin actions in cron-logger versions up to and including 1.3.0. The plugin does not verify the caller's WordPress role or capabilities before executing sensitive operations, violating the principle of least privilege for plugin-registered handlers.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to the target WordPress site using any valid low-privilege account. The attacker then issues an HTTP request to the plugin action handler exposed by Cron Logger. Because the handler does not enforce capability checks, the server processes the request and executes the underlying functionality. No user interaction beyond the attacker's own request is required. Refer to the Patchstack vulnerability report for technical specifics.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53266
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected access to Cron Logger admin-ajax or admin-post endpoints from accounts without administrator privileges.
- WordPress access logs containing requests to plugin action names associated with cron-logger originating from subscriber or contributor sessions.
- Anomalous changes to WordPress cron log data or plugin state without a corresponding administrative session.
Detection Strategies
- Audit installed WordPress plugins and flag any site running cron-logger version 1.3.0 or earlier.
- Monitor wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and wp-admin/admin-post.php requests referencing Cron Logger actions and correlate with the authenticated user's role.
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that alert on plugin-specific action parameters invoked by non-administrative users.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Centralize WordPress and web server logs and retain HTTP request bodies to enable retrospective analysis.
- Enable WordPress user activity logging to correlate low-privilege sessions with plugin action invocations.
- Alert on authentication events for dormant low-privilege accounts followed by requests to plugin endpoints.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53266
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations with the Cron Logger plugin using version 1.3.0 or earlier.
- Deactivate the cron-logger plugin until a patched release is confirmed by the vendor.
- Review recently created WordPress accounts and disable any unused low-privilege users.
- Rotate credentials for accounts that may have been used to probe plugin functionality.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the Patchstack advisory lists all versions through 1.3.0 as affected and does not identify a fixed release. Administrators should monitor the plugin's repository for a version above 1.3.0 that introduces capability and nonce checks on plugin actions.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to wp-admin/ directories using IP allowlisting at the web server or WAF.
- Enforce strong authentication and require multi-factor authentication for all WordPress accounts.
- Remove the plugin entirely if Cron Logger functionality is not required for operations.
- Apply virtual patching rules at the WAF to block plugin action parameters when submitted by non-administrative sessions.
# Example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate cron-logger
wp plugin delete cron-logger
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
