CVE-2025-69364: Cloudways Breeze Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-69364 Overview

CVE-2025-69364 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the Cloudways Breeze WordPress plugin. This broken access control flaw allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially enabling unauthorized actions within WordPress installations using the affected plugin versions.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass authorization controls to perform unauthorized actions, potentially compromising site integrity and sensitive data through the Breeze caching plugin.

Affected Products

• Cloudways Breeze WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 2.2.21
• WordPress installations with Breeze plugin enabled
• Cloudways-hosted WordPress sites using Breeze caching

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-06 - CVE CVE-2025-69364 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69364

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from a Missing Authorization flaw (CWE-862) in the Breeze WordPress caching plugin developed by Cloudways. The plugin fails to properly validate user permissions before executing certain administrative functions, creating a broken access control condition. This allows unauthorized users to access and execute functions that should be restricted to authenticated administrators.

WordPress plugins that implement caching functionality often require elevated privileges to manage cache files, modify server configurations, and access sensitive site data. When authorization checks are missing or improperly implemented, attackers can exploit these functions without proper authentication, potentially leading to data exposure, site defacement, or further compromise of the WordPress installation.

Root Cause

The root cause is a Missing Authorization vulnerability where the Breeze plugin does not adequately verify that a user has the required permissions before allowing access to sensitive functionality. This is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), which occurs when software does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

In WordPress plugins, this commonly manifests when AJAX handlers, REST API endpoints, or admin functions lack proper capability checks using functions like current_user_can(). Without these checks, any user—including unauthenticated visitors—may be able to trigger administrative actions.

Attack Vector

The attack exploits incorrectly configured access control security levels within the Breeze plugin. An attacker can interact with vulnerable endpoints or functions without possessing the appropriate WordPress user role or capabilities. This could be achieved through:

• Direct requests to unprotected AJAX endpoints
• Manipulation of REST API calls without proper nonce validation
• Accessing administrative functions through crafted HTTP requests

The attack does not require authentication in scenarios where the authorization check is completely absent, making it exploitable by unauthenticated remote attackers visiting the targeted WordPress site.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69364

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to Breeze plugin endpoints from unauthenticated sessions
• Unexpected cache purge operations or configuration changes in Breeze settings
• Access logs showing requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with Breeze-related actions from non-admin IP addresses
• Modifications to Breeze plugin configuration files without corresponding admin activity

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for suspicious requests targeting Breeze plugin AJAX actions
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect unauthorized access attempts to plugin endpoints
• Review WordPress audit logs for configuration changes made outside normal administrative sessions
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions to identify anomalous plugin behavior patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for all WordPress AJAX and REST API requests
• Configure alerts for Breeze plugin configuration changes occurring outside maintenance windows
• Implement real-time monitoring of WordPress admin actions with user attribution
• Review server access logs regularly for patterns indicating broken access control exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69364

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Breeze plugin to a patched version when available from Cloudways
• Temporarily disable the Breeze plugin if a patch is not yet available and the site is at risk
• Implement WAF rules to restrict access to Breeze plugin endpoints
• Review WordPress user accounts and remove any unauthorized administrative access
• Audit recent changes to Breeze plugin configuration for signs of exploitation

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Database Entry for updated patch information and remediation guidance. Update to a version newer than 2.2.21 once Cloudways releases a security patch addressing this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to WordPress admin AJAX endpoints at the web server level using IP allowlisting
• Implement additional authentication layers for sensitive plugin operations using security plugins
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with WordPress-specific rulesets to filter malicious requests
• Consider using an alternative caching solution until a patch is available for high-risk environments

# Example .htaccess rules to restrict Breeze plugin access
# Add to WordPress root .htaccess file

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
# Block direct access to Breeze plugin admin-ajax actions from non-admin IPs
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^.*wp-admin/admin-ajax\.php [NC]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=breeze [NC]
RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} !^YOUR\.ADMIN\.IP\.ADDRESS$
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>