CVE-2025-7839 Overview
CVE-2025-7839 affects the Restore Permanently delete Post or Page Data plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 1.0. The vulnerability is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaw caused by missing or incorrect nonce validation on the rp_dpo_dpa_ajax_dp_delete_data() function. Unauthenticated attackers can delete data by tricking a site administrator into clicking a crafted link or visiting an attacker-controlled page. The flaw is tracked under CWE-352 and requires user interaction to succeed.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated attackers to delete WordPress post or page data by tricking an authenticated administrator into performing an action such as clicking a malicious link.
Affected Products
- Restore Permanently delete Post or Page Data plugin for WordPress
- All versions up to and including 1.0
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-23 - CVE-2025-7839 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-7839
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the rp_dpo_dpa_ajax_dp_delete_data() function within the plugin's delete-store-file.php handler. This AJAX endpoint processes requests to permanently delete post or page data but does not properly verify a WordPress nonce token before executing the destructive action. Because the request handler relies solely on the administrator's active session cookie for authorization, any cross-origin request initiated from an authenticated administrator's browser will be honored.
The integrity impact is limited to data deletion rather than modification or code execution, and the flaw does not expose confidentiality or availability of the underlying server. However, deleted post and page data may not be recoverable through the plugin's own restore functionality once removed.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or incorrect nonce validation, which is the standard WordPress mechanism for defending against CSRF. WordPress provides check_ajax_referer() and wp_verify_nonce() functions specifically for validating request origin on privileged AJAX endpoints. The vulnerable function omits this check, allowing forged requests to reach the deletion logic. For technical context, see the WordPress Plugin Code Analysis.
Attack Vector
An attacker crafts a malicious webpage or email containing an HTML form or image tag that issues a request to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint. When an authenticated WordPress administrator visits the attacker-controlled resource, the browser automatically attaches session cookies to the outbound request. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and deletes the specified data. No prior authentication or privileges are required from the attacker beyond social-engineering the administrator into triggering the request.
See the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for additional analysis.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7839
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected deletion of WordPress posts or pages correlated with administrator browsing activity
- HTTP POST requests to admin-ajax.php referencing the rp_dpo_dpa_ajax_dp_delete_data action originating from external Referer headers
- Administrator sessions issuing deletion requests immediately after visiting untrusted external sites
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress access logs for AJAX calls targeting the plugin's delete action where the Referer header does not match the site's own domain
- Audit the plugin database tables for missing records that were not deleted through legitimate administrative workflows
- Correlate web server logs with administrator authentication events to identify forged request patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging to track post and page deletions with user attribution and source IP
- Monitor for anomalous spikes in delete operations against wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
- Alert on administrator browser sessions triggering state-changing requests from third-party origins
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7839
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Restore Permanently delete Post or Page Data plugin until a patched version is released
- Instruct WordPress administrators to log out of admin sessions before browsing untrusted sites
- Review recent post and page deletions and restore any data removed without authorization
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no patched version of the plugin is listed in the enriched CVE data. All versions up to and including 1.0 remain vulnerable. Site owners should monitor the WordPress plugin repository for updates and apply any released fix that adds proper nonce validation to the affected AJAX handler.
Workarounds
- Remove the plugin entirely if the restore functionality is not business-critical
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule blocking POST requests to the rp_dpo_dpa_ajax_dp_delete_data AJAX action when the Referer header does not match the site domain
- Restrict administrator accounts to dedicated browsers or browser profiles used only for WordPress administration
- Enforce SameSite=Strict cookie attributes on WordPress authentication cookies where compatible with the site configuration
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
