CVE-2026-25460: Ave Core Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25460 Overview

CVE-2026-25460 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability affecting the LiquidThemes Ave Core (ave-core) WordPress plugin. This security flaw allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially enabling unauthorized access to protected functionality within WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass access control mechanisms in the Ave Core plugin to perform unauthorized actions, potentially leading to privilege escalation or unauthorized data access on affected WordPress installations.

Affected Products

• LiquidThemes Ave Core (ave-core) plugin versions through 2.9.1
• WordPress installations using vulnerable Ave Core versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-25 - CVE CVE-2026-25460 published to NVD
• 2026-03-25 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25460

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), which occurs when software fails to perform authorization checks when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. In the context of the Ave Core WordPress plugin, certain functionality lacks proper authorization verification, allowing unauthenticated or low-privileged users to access features or data that should be restricted.

The broken access control vulnerability in Ave Core allows attackers to bypass intended security restrictions. Without proper authorization checks, the plugin exposes functionality that should only be available to users with specific capabilities or roles within WordPress.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of proper authorization checks within the Ave Core plugin's codebase. When processing certain requests, the plugin fails to verify whether the requesting user has appropriate permissions to perform the requested action. This typically manifests when AJAX endpoints, REST API routes, or other plugin functions are implemented without adequate current_user_can() checks or similar WordPress capability verification mechanisms.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability involves an attacker sending crafted requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoints without proper authentication or with insufficient privileges. Since the plugin does not properly validate user permissions, these requests are processed regardless of the attacker's actual authorization level.

The exploitation typically follows this pattern:

1. An attacker identifies endpoints or functions within the Ave Core plugin that lack authorization checks
2. The attacker crafts HTTP requests targeting these unprotected functions
3. Due to missing authorization verification, the plugin processes these requests
4. The attacker gains access to restricted functionality or data

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, see the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25460

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual AJAX or REST API requests to Ave Core plugin endpoints from unauthenticated sources
• Unexpected modifications to WordPress settings or content that would normally require elevated privileges
• Access logs showing requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with Ave Core-specific action parameters from suspicious IP addresses
• Evidence of unauthorized plugin configuration changes

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for requests to Ave Core endpoints from unauthenticated or low-privileged users
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting known vulnerable endpoints
• Enable WordPress audit logging to track all administrative actions and identify unauthorized changes
• Review plugin activity logs for actions performed without corresponding authenticated user sessions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Deploy real-time monitoring for WordPress AJAX and REST API endpoints
• Configure alerting for failed authorization attempts or unusual access patterns to plugin functionality
• Implement file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to plugin configurations
• Establish baseline activity patterns to identify anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25460

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Ave Core (ave-core) plugin to a version newer than 2.9.1 when a patched version becomes available
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating the Ave Core plugin until a fix is released
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to restrict access to vulnerable plugin endpoints
• Review WordPress user roles and remove unnecessary permissions from untrusted accounts
• Enable WordPress audit logging to monitor for exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the LiquidThemes official channels and the WordPress plugin repository for security updates addressing this vulnerability. The Patchstack vulnerability database provides additional details and will track patch availability.

Until an official patch is released, implement the workarounds listed below to reduce exposure risk.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to WordPress administrative URLs using server-level controls (IP allowlisting, authentication proxies)
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with rules specifically targeting Ave Core plugin requests
• Limit the plugin's functionality to only authenticated administrators if possible
• Consider temporarily disabling the plugin on public-facing sites until a patch is available
• Apply the principle of least privilege to all WordPress user accounts

# Example: Restrict Ave Core AJAX actions in .htaccess (Apache)
# Place in WordPress root directory

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    # Block unauthenticated requests to ave-core actions
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} admin-ajax\.php
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=ave_core [NC,OR]
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_METHOD} POST
    RewriteCond %{HTTP_COOKIE} !wordpress_logged_in
    RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>