CVE-2025-66532 Overview
CVE-2025-66532 is a missing authorization vulnerability affecting the Mikado-Themes Powerlift WordPress theme. The flaw stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels in versions up to and including 3.2.1. Authenticated low-privilege users can interact with theme functionality that should require higher privilege levels. The issue is tracked under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
The vulnerability impacts integrity but does not directly expose confidential data or affect availability. Attackers must possess valid authenticated access to the WordPress instance to exploit this issue.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can perform unauthorized actions against the Powerlift theme due to broken access control, potentially modifying theme-controlled content or settings on affected WordPress sites.
Affected Products
- Mikado-Themes Powerlift WordPress theme (vendor: qodeinteractive)
- All Powerlift versions from initial release through 3.2.1
- WordPress installations using the vulnerable powerlift theme
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-09 - CVE-2025-66532 published to NVD
- 2026-04-27 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-66532
Vulnerability Analysis
The Powerlift theme exposes one or more action handlers without enforcing proper capability checks. WordPress themes typically register AJAX endpoints or admin actions that require verification through current_user_can() checks combined with nonce validation. When these checks are absent or improperly scoped, any authenticated user can invoke privileged operations.
The vulnerability requires network access to the WordPress site and low-privilege authentication, such as a Subscriber or Contributor account. No user interaction is required to trigger the flaw. Exploitation impacts integrity only, suggesting the affected endpoints allow modification of theme-controlled state rather than data exfiltration or denial of service.
The EPSS probability remains low, reflecting the requirement for authenticated access and the limited scope of the vulnerable codebase. WordPress sites that allow open user registration are at higher relative risk.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of authorization checks on Powerlift theme endpoints. Affected handlers fail to verify the caller's WordPress capabilities before executing privileged logic. This represents a classic CWE-862 pattern where authentication is enforced but authorization is not.
Attack Vector
An attacker first obtains low-privilege authenticated access to the target WordPress site. The attacker then issues HTTP requests directly to the vulnerable theme endpoint, such as an admin-ajax.php action registered by Powerlift. Because the handler does not validate the user's role or capabilities, the request executes with effective privileges beyond the attacker's assigned role. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-66532
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected POST requests to admin-ajax.php with action parameters tied to the Powerlift theme originating from low-privilege user sessions
- Unauthorized modifications to theme options, widgets, or content controlled by the Powerlift theme
- Newly registered subscriber accounts immediately followed by requests to theme-specific endpoints
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress audit logs for theme-related actions performed by non-administrative accounts
- Inspect web server access logs for repeated requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing Powerlift action handlers from authenticated low-privilege sessions
- Compare current Powerlift theme version against the fixed release; any installation at or below 3.2.1 is vulnerable
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to track changes to theme settings and content modifications
- Alert on HTTP 200 responses to authenticated AJAX endpoints from accounts with Subscriber or Contributor roles
- Monitor for anomalous account registration patterns followed by theme endpoint interactions
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-66532
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running the Mikado-Themes Powerlift theme and confirm the installed version
- Upgrade Powerlift to a version newer than 3.2.1 once the vendor publishes a patched release
- Disable open user registration on affected sites until patching is complete to reduce the attacker pool
- Audit existing user accounts and remove unrecognized low-privilege users
Patch Information
The vulnerability affects Powerlift versions from initial release through 3.2.1. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for the latest fixed version information and apply the vendor update through the WordPress theme updater.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php through a web application firewall rule that enforces role-based filtering on Powerlift action parameters
- Temporarily switch to an alternate theme if a patched version is not yet available and the site permits open registration
- Apply virtual patching rules from Patchstack or an equivalent WordPress security platform to block exploitation attempts at the edge
# Example WAF rule pattern to block unauthenticated low-privilege access to Powerlift AJAX actions
# Adjust action names to match the specific Powerlift handlers identified in your installation
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" \
"chain,deny,status:403,id:1066532,msg:'Block Powerlift theme AJAX access for non-admin roles'"
SecRule ARGS:action "@rx ^powerlift_" \
"chain"
SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Cookie "!@rx wordpress_logged_in_admin"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
