CVE-2025-67970: Schedula Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-67970 Overview

CVE-2025-67970 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the Schedula Smart Appointment Booking WordPress plugin developed by vertim. This broken access control flaw allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially exposing sensitive information without proper authentication.

The vulnerability stems from insufficient authorization checks within the plugin's functionality, enabling unauthenticated users to access resources that should be restricted to authorized users only.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can bypass access controls to retrieve sensitive appointment and scheduling data from WordPress sites running the vulnerable Schedula plugin.

Affected Products

Schedula Smart Appointment Booking plugin version 1.0 and earlier
WordPress installations with the schedula-smart-appointment-booking plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

2026-02-20 - CVE-2025-67970 published to NVD
2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-67970

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a classic broken access control flaw where the Schedula WordPress plugin fails to implement proper authorization checks on sensitive endpoints or functions. The missing authorization allows network-based attackers to access protected resources without requiring any privileges or user interaction.

The attack complexity is low, meaning exploitation does not require specialized conditions or preparation. While the vulnerability allows unauthorized read access to confidential information, it does not permit modification of data or disruption of service availability.

Root Cause

The root cause is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in the Schedula Smart Appointment Booking plugin. The plugin fails to verify that a user has proper permissions before granting access to protected functionality or data. This typically occurs when:

AJAX endpoints lack capability checks using WordPress functions like current_user_can()
REST API routes are exposed without proper permission callbacks
Direct object references are accessible without validating user authorization
Nonce verification is missing or improperly implemented

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can directly target vulnerable WordPress installations by:

Identifying WordPress sites running the Schedula plugin
Sending crafted requests to unprotected plugin endpoints
Retrieving sensitive appointment booking data without authorization

The vulnerability allows low-impact confidentiality breaches, meaning attackers can access some restricted information but the exposure may be limited in scope. For more technical details, refer to the Patchstack vulnerability database entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-67970

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual access patterns to Schedula plugin AJAX or REST API endpoints from unauthenticated sessions
Unexpected requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with Schedula-related action parameters from external IPs
Access log entries showing successful data retrieval from plugin endpoints without corresponding authentication events
Anomalous volume of requests to appointment or scheduling data endpoints

Detection Strategies

Monitor WordPress access logs for unauthenticated requests to Schedula plugin endpoints
Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious access patterns to plugin functionality
Deploy endpoint detection to identify reconnaissance activity targeting WordPress installations
Review audit logs for data access events that lack corresponding authentication records

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable detailed logging for WordPress AJAX and REST API requests
Configure alerts for access attempts to sensitive plugin endpoints from unauthenticated sources
Implement rate limiting on plugin endpoints to detect and mitigate enumeration attempts
Regularly review access logs for patterns consistent with broken access control exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-67970

Immediate Actions Required

Audit your WordPress installations for the presence of the Schedula Smart Appointment Booking plugin
If the plugin is installed, immediately assess the sensitivity of appointment data stored
Consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a patched version is available
Implement WAF rules to restrict access to plugin endpoints from unauthorized sources
Review access logs for evidence of prior exploitation

Patch Information

As of the last update on 2026-02-24, affected versions include Schedula plugin version 1.0 and earlier. Check the Patchstack advisory for the latest patch status and update to a fixed version when available from the vendor.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Schedula Smart Appointment Booking plugin if not critical to operations
Implement IP-based access restrictions to limit plugin endpoint access to trusted networks
Deploy a web application firewall with rules blocking unauthenticated access to Schedula plugin AJAX actions
Use WordPress security plugins to add additional authorization layers to plugin functionality
Consider migrating to an alternative appointment booking solution with proper access controls

bash

# Example: Block unauthenticated access to plugin AJAX actions via .htaccess
# Add to WordPress .htaccess file
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^.*admin-ajax\.php.*$
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=schedula [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_COOKIE} !wordpress_logged_in
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>