CVE-2025-58011 Overview
CVE-2025-58011 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the Alex Content Mask WordPress plugin, tracked under [CWE-918]. The flaw affects Content Mask versions up to and including 1.8.5.2. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can coerce the server to issue arbitrary outbound HTTP requests to attacker-chosen destinations. This exposure enables access to internal network resources, cloud metadata endpoints, and other services otherwise unreachable from the public internet. Patchstack published the initial vulnerability report.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can pivot through vulnerable WordPress hosts to reach internal-only services, potentially reading confidential responses and probing internal network topology.
Affected Products
- Alex Content Mask WordPress plugin, versions through 1.8.5.2
- WordPress sites running the plugin with any authenticated low-privilege role
- Hosting environments exposing internal metadata or intranet services to the WordPress host
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-22 - CVE-2025-58011 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-58011
Vulnerability Analysis
The Content Mask plugin fetches and proxies remote content on behalf of a WordPress user. The plugin does not adequately validate or restrict destination URLs supplied to its request-handling logic. An authenticated attacker submits a crafted URL, and the server issues an HTTP request to that target. Response data or side effects can then be observed by the attacker.
SSRF against WordPress plugins commonly enables attackers to reach http://169.254.169.254/ cloud metadata endpoints, internal admin panels, database interfaces bound to loopback, and file:// or gopher:// handlers when the underlying HTTP client accepts them. The vulnerability requires authentication but grants a scope-changed impact, meaning the compromise reaches beyond the WordPress instance itself.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing server-side validation of user-controlled URLs before the plugin issues outbound HTTP requests. The plugin trusts input from an authenticated user without enforcing an allowlist of destinations, blocking private IP ranges, or restricting URL schemes. This maps to [CWE-918]: Server-Side Request Forgery.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and valid low-privilege credentials. The attacker submits a request to the vulnerable Content Mask endpoint with a URL pointing at an internal target such as http://127.0.0.1:8080/, http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/, or an intranet host. The WordPress server performs the request and may return response content, timing signals, or status codes that leak internal state. Technical details are available in the Patchstack SSRF Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-58011
Indicators of Compromise
- Outbound HTTP requests from the WordPress PHP process to RFC1918 addresses, 127.0.0.1, or 169.254.169.254
- Access log entries showing authenticated users invoking Content Mask endpoints with unusual URL parameters
- Unexpected DNS lookups from the web server for internal hostnames or attacker-controlled canary domains
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server and PHP-FPM logs for Content Mask request parameters referencing internal IP ranges, loopback, or non-HTTP schemes
- Correlate WordPress authentication events with subsequent outbound requests to atypical destinations
- Deploy egress filtering telemetry and alert on requests from the WordPress host to cloud metadata services
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor plugin file integrity and version metadata across managed WordPress fleets
- Track EPSS movement for CVE-2025-58011 and re-prioritize if exploitation likelihood increases
- Ingest WordPress and reverse-proxy logs into a centralized data lake for query and correlation
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-58011
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress instances running Content Mask 1.8.5.2 or earlier and prioritize remediation
- Restrict access to Content Mask functionality to trusted users while patching is pending
- Enforce egress network controls that block WordPress hosts from reaching cloud metadata IPs and internal management ranges
Patch Information
No fixed version is listed in the NVD record at time of writing. Consult the Patchstack SSRF Vulnerability Report for current patch availability, and update to the vendor-supplied release once published.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Content Mask plugin until a patched version is available
- Block outbound requests from the WordPress server to 169.254.169.254, loopback, and RFC1918 ranges at the network layer
- Enforce IMDSv2 on AWS instances hosting WordPress to require session-token requests for metadata access
- Reduce the number of accounts with authenticated access to the WordPress site and audit existing low-privilege roles
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
