CVE-2025-66079 Overview
CVE-2025-66079 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Jegstudio Gutenverse Form plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of gutenverse-form up to and including 2.2.0. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can exploit incorrectly configured access control checks to perform actions that should be restricted to higher-privileged users. The issue impacts data integrity on affected WordPress sites without requiring user interaction.
Critical Impact
A low-privileged authenticated attacker can send network requests to the plugin's endpoints and manipulate form data or configuration, resulting in a high impact to integrity on affected WordPress installations.
Affected Products
- Jegstudio Gutenverse Form (gutenverse-form) plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 2.2.0
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-21 - CVE-2025-66079 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-66079
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a Broken Access Control issue affecting the Gutenverse Form plugin. The plugin exposes functionality through endpoints that do not properly verify whether the calling user holds the required capabilities. As a result, any authenticated user, including subscriber-level accounts on sites that allow open registration, can invoke operations intended for administrators or form managers.
Because the attack vector is network-based and requires only low privileges with no user interaction, exploitation can be automated against exposed WordPress sites. The confidentiality impact is rated none, but integrity impact is high, indicating that attackers can modify data managed by the plugin.
The EPSS score for this issue is 0.29%, reflecting current observed and predicted exploitation activity across the internet.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization check [CWE-862]. The plugin's request handlers do not call the appropriate WordPress capability functions such as current_user_can() before performing sensitive operations. Authorization is either omitted entirely or relies on assumptions that any authenticated request originates from a trusted user role.
Attack Vector
An attacker first authenticates to the target WordPress site using any valid low-privilege account. The attacker then sends crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's AJAX or REST endpoints. Because the endpoints do not enforce role-based access, the server processes the requests and applies the requested changes. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for endpoint-level technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-66079
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to form submissions, form definitions, or plugin settings tied to gutenverse-form.
- HTTP POST requests from low-privilege user sessions to plugin AJAX actions or REST routes under the Gutenverse Form namespace.
- New or modified form entries containing content inconsistent with legitimate site users.
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress access logs for requests to admin-ajax.php or REST API paths associated with gutenverse-form originating from subscriber or contributor accounts.
- Enable a WordPress audit logging plugin to record plugin option changes and form modifications, then alert on changes performed by non-administrator users.
- Compare the installed plugin version against 2.2.0 to identify vulnerable instances across managed sites.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized logging or SIEM platform and build alerts for anomalous plugin endpoint activity.
- Monitor for spikes in authenticated requests to plugin endpoints from newly registered accounts.
- Track file integrity of plugin configuration and any exported form data to identify unauthorized changes quickly.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-66079
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running the Gutenverse Form plugin at version 2.2.0 or earlier and prioritize them for remediation.
- Update gutenverse-form to a fixed release once published by Jegstudio, or deactivate and remove the plugin if a patched version is not yet available.
- Audit user accounts and remove or downgrade unnecessary low-privilege accounts, especially on sites permitting open registration.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the NVD entry does not list a fixed version. Review the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest vendor advisory and fixed release details.
Workarounds
- Disable the Gutenverse Form plugin until a patched version is installed.
- Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and REST API endpoints from unauthenticated and low-privilege sessions using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule.
- Disable open user registration on affected WordPress sites to reduce the pool of accounts that can meet the low-privilege prerequisite.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
