CVE-2025-64246: AudioEye Plugin Authorization Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-64246 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Accessibility by AudioEye WordPress plugin that allows attackers to exploit misconfigured access controls. This article covers the technical details, affected versions through 1.0.49, security impact, and recommended mitigation strategies.

CVE-2025-64246 Overview

CVE-2025-64246 is a missing authorization vulnerability affecting the Accessibility by AudioEye WordPress plugin (accessibility-by-audioeye). The flaw stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels and impacts all versions up to and including 1.0.49. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can exploit the weakness over the network to perform actions that should be restricted. The issue is tracked under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.

Critical Impact
Low-privileged authenticated users can bypass access control checks in the plugin, potentially modifying accessibility configuration data on affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

Accessibility by AudioEye WordPress plugin (accessibility-by-audioeye)
All versions from initial release through 1.0.49
WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin with authenticated users

Discovery Timeline

2025-12-16 - CVE-2025-64246 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-64246

Vulnerability Analysis

The Accessibility by AudioEye plugin exposes functionality that fails to verify whether the requesting user holds the required capability. When a request reaches the affected handler, the plugin proceeds with the action based on authentication alone. It does not validate authorization for the specific operation requested.

This behavior enables horizontal privilege issues within the WordPress role model. A subscriber-level user, which is the default authenticated role on many sites, can invoke functionality intended for administrators. The impact is limited to integrity effects; confidentiality and availability are not directly affected according to the published CVSS vector.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing capability check in the plugin's request handlers. WordPress plugins typically enforce access using current_user_can() guards or nonce and capability validation inside AJAX and REST endpoints. In vulnerable builds of accessibility-by-audioeye, one or more of these guards are absent or evaluate an incorrect capability level. This maps directly to CWE-862 Missing Authorization.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an authenticated session on the target WordPress site. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. Because the handler does not verify the caller's role, the request completes successfully. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own action. Further technical details are documented in the Patchstack Vulnerability Analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-64246

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to Accessibility by AudioEye plugin settings or configuration records in the WordPress database
HTTP requests to plugin AJAX or REST endpoints originating from low-privileged user sessions
Plugin activity in wp-admin/admin-ajax.php logs performed by non-administrator accounts

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress sites and identify installations running accessibility-by-audioeye version 1.0.49 or earlier
Review web server access logs for requests to plugin endpoints paired with subscriber or contributor session cookies
Correlate WordPress audit logs with user role data to surface actions performed outside the user's normal capability scope

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to record plugin setting changes and the user account responsible
Forward web and application logs to a centralized SIEM for role-versus-action correlation
Alert on new or unexpected authenticated sessions performing administrative-style operations on plugin endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-64246

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Accessibility by AudioEye plugin to a version later than 1.0.49 as soon as the vendor publishes a fixed release
Audit existing WordPress user accounts and disable or remove unused low-privilege accounts that could be abused
Review plugin configuration and revert any unauthorized changes identified during log review

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the advisory covers versions up to and including 1.0.49. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org page for a patched release, then apply the update across all affected sites.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Accessibility by AudioEye plugin until a fixed version is available if the functionality is not business-critical
Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and REST endpoints using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule targeting the vulnerable plugin action parameters
Enforce least-privilege on WordPress roles and require strong authentication for all users to reduce the pool of accounts that can trigger the flaw

bash

# Example: identify vulnerable plugin version via WP-CLI
wp plugin get accessibility-by-audioeye --field=version

# Example: deactivate the plugin as a temporary workaround
wp plugin deactivate accessibility-by-audioeye