CVE-2025-68043: LottieFiles Authorization Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-68043 Overview

CVE-2025-68043 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the LottieFiles WordPress plugin. This broken access control vulnerability allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially gaining unauthorized access to plugin functionality and resources without proper authentication or authorization checks.

The vulnerability exists due to missing authorization checks in the LottieFiles plugin, allowing unauthenticated or low-privileged users to access protected functionality that should require higher privilege levels. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in WordPress environments where proper access control is essential for maintaining site security.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass access controls to potentially modify plugin settings, access restricted content, or perform unauthorized actions within the WordPress environment.

Affected Products

• LottieFiles WordPress Plugin version 3.0.0 and earlier
• All versions from initial release through version 3.0.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-20 - CVE CVE-2025-68043 published to NVD
• 2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-68043

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under the category of Broken Access Control, specifically a Missing Authorization flaw classified as CWE-862. The LottieFiles WordPress plugin fails to properly verify user permissions before allowing access to certain functionality, creating a security gap that can be exploited remotely.

The vulnerability allows network-based attacks with low complexity, requiring no user interaction or privileges to exploit. The impact spans confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as unauthorized access could lead to information disclosure, data modification, or service disruption within the plugin's scope.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of proper authorization checks within the LottieFiles plugin's request handling logic. WordPress plugins must implement capability checks using functions like current_user_can() to verify that the requesting user has appropriate permissions before executing privileged operations. The LottieFiles plugin fails to implement these checks adequately, allowing unauthorized users to access protected functionality.

In WordPress security architecture, missing authorization typically occurs when developers fail to:

• Implement nonce verification for AJAX handlers
• Check user capabilities before processing requests
• Validate user roles against required permission levels

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible, meaning an attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely through HTTP requests to the WordPress installation. The exploitation requires:

1. Identifying endpoints exposed by the LottieFiles plugin that lack authorization
2. Crafting requests to access restricted functionality without authentication
3. Exploiting the missing access controls to perform unauthorized operations

The attack does not require user interaction, authentication, or special privileges, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can reach the WordPress site. Technical details regarding specific exploitation methods can be found in the Patchstack Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-68043

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access to LottieFiles plugin administrative functions from unauthenticated sessions
• Unusual HTTP requests targeting LottieFiles plugin endpoints without valid WordPress authentication cookies
• Modifications to LottieFiles plugin settings without corresponding admin activity in WordPress logs
• Anomalous API calls to plugin AJAX handlers from external IP addresses

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with LottieFiles-related action parameters from unauthenticated users
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests to plugin endpoints
• Review audit logs for unauthorized changes to plugin configuration or settings
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity to detect exploitation attempts and post-exploitation activity on WordPress servers

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed WordPress debug logging to capture authentication failures and permission denials
• Configure real-time alerting for unusual patterns of plugin endpoint access
• Establish baseline behavior for the LottieFiles plugin and alert on deviations
• Monitor server resources for signs of enumeration or brute-force attacks against plugin endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-68043

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the LottieFiles WordPress plugin to a patched version if available from the WordPress plugin repository
• Temporarily disable the LottieFiles plugin if no patch is available and the functionality is not critical
• Review WordPress user accounts and privileges to ensure least-privilege principles are enforced
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with rules to block unauthorized access to plugin endpoints

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects LottieFiles plugin versions through 3.0.0. Check the WordPress plugin repository for an updated version that addresses this vulnerability. Monitor the Patchstack Security Advisory for the latest patch information and remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Disable the LottieFiles plugin until a security patch is released and applied
• Restrict access to WordPress admin areas using .htaccess rules or server-level IP whitelisting
• Implement additional authentication layers using security plugins such as Wordfence or Sucuri
• Use a WAF to block suspicious requests targeting LottieFiles plugin endpoints

# WordPress .htaccess restriction example for LottieFiles plugin
# Add to .htaccess to restrict AJAX access to authenticated users
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/wp-admin/admin-ajax\.php
  RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=lottiefiles [NC]
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_COOKIE} !wordpress_logged_in
  RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>