CVE-2026-25000: Wheel of Life Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25000 Overview

CVE-2026-25000 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting the Wheel of Life WordPress plugin developed by Kraft Plugins. This Broken Access Control flaw allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially enabling unauthorized actions within WordPress installations running vulnerable versions of the plugin.

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks in the plugin's functionality, which can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass intended access restrictions and perform unauthorized modifications to WordPress sites running the vulnerable Wheel of Life plugin through network-based attacks.

Affected Products

• Wheel of Life WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 1.2.0
• WordPress installations with Wheel of Life plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-19 - CVE CVE-2026-25000 published to NVD
• 2026-02-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25000

Vulnerability Analysis

This Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) occurs when the Wheel of Life plugin fails to properly verify that a user is authorized to perform specific actions before executing them. The flaw is network-exploitable and requires no privileges or user interaction, making it accessible to unauthenticated remote attackers. The primary security impact is to data integrity, as unauthorized users can make modifications they should not be permitted to make.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of proper authorization checks within the Wheel of Life plugin. WordPress plugins typically should implement capability checks using functions like current_user_can() to verify user permissions before executing privileged operations. When these checks are missing or improperly implemented, attackers can access functionality intended only for authenticated or privileged users.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without any authentication requirements. An attacker can directly interact with vulnerable plugin endpoints or AJAX handlers that lack proper authorization validation. Since no user interaction is required, exploitation can be automated and scaled across multiple vulnerable WordPress installations.

The vulnerability allows unauthorized integrity modifications, meaning attackers can alter data or settings within the scope of the plugin's functionality without proper permission verification.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25000

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to Wheel of Life plugin settings or data
• Anomalous HTTP requests targeting Wheel of Life plugin endpoints from unauthenticated sources
• WordPress access logs showing requests to plugin AJAX handlers without valid authentication tokens

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with Wheel of Life-related actions from unauthenticated sessions
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block unauthorized access attempts to plugin endpoints
• Review plugin audit logs for configuration changes made by non-administrative users

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for WordPress AJAX requests and plugin activity
• Set up alerts for any modifications to plugin settings outside of expected administrative workflows
• Regularly audit user activity and access patterns within the WordPress admin interface

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25000

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Wheel of Life plugin to a patched version as soon as one becomes available
• Temporarily disable the Wheel of Life plugin if it is not critical to site operations until a patch is released
• Implement WAF rules to restrict access to plugin AJAX endpoints to authenticated users only
• Review plugin settings and data for any unauthorized modifications

Patch Information

This vulnerability affects Wheel of Life versions through 1.2.0. Users should monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the official WordPress plugin repository for patch updates from Kraft Plugins. Apply the latest security update immediately upon release.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to WordPress admin AJAX endpoints using server-level access controls or WAF configurations
• Implement additional authentication layers for plugin functionality using security plugins
• Consider temporarily replacing the plugin's functionality with an alternative solution until a patch is available

# Apache .htaccess workaround to restrict admin-ajax.php access
<Files admin-ajax.php>
    <RequireAll>
        Require all granted
        # Additional IP restrictions or authentication can be added here
    </RequireAll>
</Files>