CVE-2025-57886: Accessibility Checker Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-57886 Overview

CVE-2025-57886 is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in the Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker plugin for WordPress. The flaw stems from Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key [CWE-639], allowing authenticated low-privileged users to access or modify resources belonging to other users by manipulating object identifiers in requests. All versions of the plugin up to and including 1.30.0 are affected.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with low privileges can bypass access controls to read or tamper with accessibility scan data belonging to other users on the same WordPress site.

Affected Products

Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker WordPress plugin versions <= 1.30.0
WordPress installations with the plugin enabled and low-privileged user accounts
Multi-author WordPress sites relying on the plugin for accessibility auditing

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-22 - CVE-2025-57886 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-57886

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) issue mapped to [CWE-639]. The plugin exposes endpoints that accept a resource identifier supplied by the client, then acts on the referenced object without verifying that the requesting user owns it or has been granted access. An authenticated attacker with a low-privileged role (for example, Subscriber or Contributor) can substitute another user's identifier and interact with resources that should be out of reach.

The attack is remote and requires only network access to the WordPress site along with valid authentication. No user interaction is required. Successful exploitation impacts data confidentiality and integrity in a limited scope but leaves availability partially exposed as well.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient authorization checks on plugin endpoints that accept user-controlled keys such as post IDs, scan IDs, or record identifiers. The plugin trusts the identifier supplied in the request instead of validating ownership against the authenticated session. This design pattern is the defining characteristic of [CWE-639] Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key.

Attack Vector

An attacker authenticates to the WordPress site with any low-privileged account. They then send crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's endpoints while modifying the object identifier parameter to reference resources owned by other users, including administrators. Because the plugin does not enforce a per-user access check on the target object, the server returns or modifies the referenced data.

See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for endpoint-level technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-57886

Indicators of Compromise

Authenticated HTTP requests from low-privileged accounts targeting Accessibility Checker plugin endpoints with sequential or unexpected object identifiers
Access log entries showing a single low-privileged user enumerating a broad range of resource IDs in a short time window
Unexpected changes to accessibility scan records not attributable to the resource owner

Detection Strategies

Monitor WordPress access logs for repeated requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or REST endpoints associated with the accessibility-checker plugin
Alert on privilege mismatch patterns where Subscriber or Contributor accounts invoke plugin actions typically used by Editors or Administrators
Correlate authenticated requests with the ownership of the referenced object IDs to identify cross-user access

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging to capture user, action, and target object identifiers for every plugin request
Baseline normal plugin usage per user role and flag deviations, especially high-volume ID enumeration
Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for cross-user IDOR pattern detection

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-57886

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker plugin to a version later than 1.30.0 once a fixed release is available
Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade any unnecessary low-privileged users
Review recent plugin activity logs for signs of cross-user object access

Patch Information

Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest fixed version guidance from the vendor. Apply the patched release across all WordPress environments that host the plugin.

Workarounds

Temporarily disable the Accessibility Checker plugin on production sites until a patched version is installed
Restrict access to the WordPress dashboard using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks unauthenticated and low-privileged requests to plugin endpoints
Enforce strong authentication and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the pool of low-privileged accounts that an attacker could compromise

bash

# Configuration example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI until a fix is applied
wp plugin deactivate accessibility-checker
wp plugin status accessibility-checker