CVE-2025-58641 Overview
CVE-2025-58641 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability affecting the Exit Intent Popup WordPress plugin by kamleshyadav. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.1. An unauthenticated attacker can coerce the WordPress server into issuing HTTP requests to attacker-chosen destinations. This enables reconnaissance of internal network resources and interaction with services normally shielded from the public internet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can abuse the vulnerable plugin to send crafted requests from the WordPress host, potentially reaching internal services, cloud metadata endpoints, and other assets not exposed externally.
Affected Products
- kamleshyadav Exit Intent Popup plugin for WordPress
- All plugin versions up to and including 1.0.1
- WordPress installations with the exitintentpopup plugin activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-03 - CVE-2025-58641 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-58641
Vulnerability Analysis
The Exit Intent Popup plugin accepts a user-controlled URL and fetches it server-side without sufficient validation of the target host. Because the plugin does not restrict outbound destinations, the WordPress server can be directed to contact arbitrary internal or external endpoints. Attackers exploit this behavior to map internal networks, query cloud instance metadata services, and probe services that trust the WordPress host by network position.
The attack requires no authentication and no user interaction. Successful exploitation depends on network conditions and the availability of internal targets, which contributes to the higher attack complexity. The scope changes because the vulnerable component acts on behalf of, and against, resources outside its own security boundary.
SSRF against WordPress hosts is commonly used to reach AWS, Azure, and GCP metadata services, retrieve short-lived credentials, or contact internal admin interfaces. The plugin's low install base does not diminish the impact on individual sites that depend on it.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing validation of a user-supplied URL prior to server-side retrieval. The plugin does not enforce an allowlist of hosts, block private IP ranges (RFC 1918, loopback, link-local 169.254.0.0/16), or restrict URL schemes. This maps directly to CWE-918.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network by sending a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. The attacker supplies a URL pointing to an internal resource, and the WordPress server issues the outbound request. Response content or timing differences can then be observed to enumerate targets. No verified public exploit code is available at the time of writing. See the Patchstack SSRF Vulnerability Advisory for advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-58641
Indicators of Compromise
- Outbound HTTP requests from the WordPress host to internal IP ranges such as 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16, or 127.0.0.1
- Requests originating from the WordPress PHP process to cloud metadata endpoints such as 169.254.169.254
- Unexpected HTTP responses in web server logs tied to plugin endpoints under wp-content/plugins/exitintentpopup/
Detection Strategies
- Inspect access logs for POST or GET requests targeting the exitintentpopup plugin containing URL parameters pointing to non-public hosts
- Correlate WordPress process network telemetry with expected outbound destinations and alert on deviations
- Monitor for repeated requests probing sequential internal IP addresses or ports, a hallmark of SSRF-driven scanning
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable egress logging on the web server and forward it to a centralized analytics platform for review
- Track cloud instance metadata service access counts per host and alert on unexpected spikes
- Baseline outbound domains contacted by the WordPress process and flag first-seen destinations
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-58641
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Exit Intent Popup plugin until a patched version is confirmed available
- Restrict egress traffic from the WordPress host to only required destinations using host or network firewall rules
- Block access from the WordPress host to cloud metadata endpoints where not explicitly required
- Rotate any credentials that may have been reachable through the WordPress host during the exposure window
Patch Information
At the time of the latest NVD update, no fixed version beyond 1.0.1 is listed in the advisory. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org listing for an updated release, and apply the update as soon as it is available.
Workarounds
- Remove the plugin entirely if no patch is available and the functionality is not critical
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that inspects plugin request parameters and blocks URLs referencing private IP ranges or 169.254.169.254
- Configure IMDSv2 on AWS-hosted WordPress instances to require session tokens for metadata access
- Enforce outbound proxy usage with an allowlist so the WordPress host cannot reach arbitrary internal destinations
# Example iptables egress restriction blocking cloud metadata and RFC1918 targets from the WordPress user
iptables -A OUTPUT -m owner --uid-owner www-data -d 169.254.169.254 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -m owner --uid-owner www-data -d 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -m owner --uid-owner www-data -d 172.16.0.0/12 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -m owner --uid-owner www-data -d 192.168.0.0/16 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
