CVE-2025-69185 Overview
CVE-2025-69185 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the e-plugins Hotel Listing plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of the hotel-listing plugin up to and including 1.4.2. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to invoke protected functionality without proper authorization checks [CWE-862].
The vulnerability is network-exploitable, requires no privileges, and does not need user interaction. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized read, modify, or availability impact on plugin-controlled resources.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can access restricted plugin functionality on WordPress sites running Hotel Listing <= 1.4.2, leading to broken access control across listing data.
Affected Products
- e-plugins Hotel Listing WordPress plugin (hotel-listing)
- All versions from n/a through <= 1.4.2
- WordPress sites with the plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-22 - CVE CVE-2025-69185 published to NVD
- 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-69185
Vulnerability Analysis
The Hotel Listing plugin exposes endpoints and actions that fail to enforce authorization checks before executing privileged operations. The plugin implements access control logic, but the security levels are configured incorrectly, allowing requests to bypass the intended permission gating. This results in a broken access control condition mapped to [CWE-862] Missing Authorization.
Because the attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction, any remote actor can issue HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoints. The impact spans confidentiality, integrity, and availability of plugin data, though each at a limited scope. Hotel listing data, reservation-related metadata, and plugin configuration handled by the affected actions can be read or altered by unauthorized requests.
The EPSS score is 0.054% at percentile 16.866, indicating low observed exploitation probability as of the scoring date. However, missing authorization flaws in WordPress plugins are frequently weaponized once disclosed, particularly through automated mass-scanning.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence or misconfiguration of capability and nonce checks in the plugin's action handlers. WordPress plugins must validate user capabilities using functions such as current_user_can() and verify request authenticity with check_ajax_referer() or wp_verify_nonce(). The Hotel Listing plugin's handlers do not enforce these checks consistently, leaving privileged paths reachable by unauthenticated clients.
Attack Vector
An attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's exposed endpoints, such as admin-ajax.php actions or REST routes registered by the plugin. Because the authorization layer is missing or misconfigured, the server executes the requested action and returns results or applies state changes. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the affected endpoint details.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available at this time.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69185
Indicators of Compromise
- Unauthenticated requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing Hotel Listing plugin actions
- Unexpected modifications to hotel listing records, bookings, or plugin options without a corresponding administrator session
- Spikes in HTTP traffic from a single source targeting plugin REST routes under /wp-json/
- Web server access log entries showing direct access to plugin PHP files
Detection Strategies
- Inventory WordPress installations to identify sites running hotel-listing version <= 1.4.2
- Inspect access logs for anonymous POST requests to plugin AJAX actions or REST endpoints
- Correlate database changes in plugin tables with authenticated administrative sessions to find mismatches
- Deploy web application firewall rules that block unauthenticated calls to sensitive plugin actions
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to capture plugin action invocations and option changes
- Forward web server and WordPress logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and retention
- Alert on creation or modification of administrator accounts and plugin settings outside change windows
- Monitor outbound connections from the web server for signs of post-exploitation activity
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69185
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites with the Hotel Listing plugin and confirm the installed version
- Update the hotel-listing plugin to a version newer than 1.4.2 once the vendor publishes a fix
- If no patched version is available, deactivate and remove the plugin until a fix is released
- Rotate WordPress administrator credentials and review user accounts for unauthorized additions
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2026-04-15, the advisory lists affected versions through <= 1.4.2. Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the current patched release information and vendor guidance.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and plugin REST routes using a web application firewall rule set
- Apply IP allow-listing for administrative endpoints where operationally feasible
- Disable the plugin if the affected functionality is not actively used on the site
- Place the site behind an authentication proxy for staging or low-traffic deployments until patched
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
