CVE-2025-7669 Overview
CVE-2025-7669 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Avishi WP PayPal Payment Button plugin for WordPress. The flaw exists in all plugin versions up to and including 2.0. It stems from missing or incorrect nonce validation on the avishi-wp-paypal-payment-button/index.php page. Unauthenticated attackers can update plugin settings and inject malicious web scripts by tricking a site administrator into clicking a crafted link. The issue is categorized under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated attackers to modify plugin settings and inject stored malicious scripts into WordPress sites, potentially leading to persistent XSS against site visitors and administrators.
Affected Products
- Avishi WP PayPal Payment Button plugin for WordPress
- All versions up to and including 2.0
- WordPress sites using the vulnerable avishi-wp-paypal-payment-button/index.php administrative page
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-19 - CVE-2025-7669 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-7669
Vulnerability Analysis
The Avishi WP PayPal Payment Button plugin exposes an administrative settings page at avishi-wp-paypal-payment-button/index.php. WordPress plugins are expected to protect state-changing operations using nonce tokens generated by wp_create_nonce() and validated with check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce(). This plugin fails to implement that validation correctly, meaning form submissions to the settings page are accepted without verifying the request originated from an authenticated administrator session.
Because the endpoint accepts unauthenticated cross-origin requests when submitted through a logged-in administrator's browser, attackers can craft a malicious page or link that automatically submits a form to the vulnerable endpoint. The injected values are stored in plugin settings and rendered back into pages, enabling script injection alongside settings tampering.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or incorrect nonce validation on the plugin's settings handler. Without a valid nonce check, the application cannot distinguish between a legitimate administrator-initiated request and a forged request delivered through a victim's authenticated browser session.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires no authentication but does require user interaction. An attacker hosts a malicious page containing a hidden form or JavaScript that targets the settings endpoint of a WordPress site running the vulnerable plugin. The attacker then delivers the link through phishing, social media, or embedded content. When a logged-in administrator visits the attacker-controlled page, the browser submits the forged request using the administrator's session cookies. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and updates settings, including fields that permit script content.
Refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis and the WordPress Plugin Code Repository for source-level context on the affected handler.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7669
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to Avishi WP PayPal Payment Button plugin settings, including PayPal account identifiers or button configuration fields
- Presence of <script> tags or JavaScript event handlers within plugin option values stored in the wp_options table
- HTTP POST requests to /wp-admin/admin.php?page=avishi-wp-paypal-payment-button/index.php with Referer headers pointing to external domains
Detection Strategies
- Audit the wp_options table for plugin settings containing HTML or JavaScript payloads that should not appear in configuration values
- Review WordPress access logs for POST requests to the plugin's admin page originating from suspicious referrers or lacking a same-origin referrer
- Correlate administrator browsing activity with settings changes to identify requests triggered by external link clicks
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to capture plugin settings changes with user, timestamp, and source IP attribution
- Monitor for anomalous administrator sessions that perform settings changes immediately after visiting external URLs
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects POST requests to plugin admin pages for missing or invalid _wpnonce parameters
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7669
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Avishi WP PayPal Payment Button plugin until a patched version is confirmed available
- Review current plugin settings in the WordPress admin console and remove any unexpected script content or configuration changes
- Force logout of all administrator sessions and rotate administrator credentials if tampering is suspected
Patch Information
No vendor patch is referenced in the NVD entry for CVE-2025-7669 at time of publication. Site owners should monitor the WordPress Plugin Information Page for updates beyond version 2.0 and the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis for remediation guidance.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/ using IP allowlisting or a reverse proxy to limit exposure of vulnerable admin endpoints
- Deploy a web application firewall with WordPress CSRF protection rules that validate Origin and Referer headers on state-changing requests
- Require administrators to use dedicated browsers or browser profiles for WordPress administration to reduce cross-site request exposure
- Replace the plugin with an actively maintained PayPal integration that implements WordPress nonce validation on all settings handlers
# Configuration example: disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate avishi-wp-paypal-payment-button
wp plugin delete avishi-wp-paypal-payment-button
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
