CVE-2025-62130

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-62130 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WordPress plugin Accordion Slider Gallery, developed by Wpdiscover. This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially leading to unauthorized data exposure or manipulation. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.7. As of this report, no official patch has been released, and no public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code is available. The CVSS score is 4.3 (Medium), with a low EPSS score of 0.0%, indicating a low probability of active exploitation in the wild. However, the lack of a patch and the nature of the vulnerability (missing authorization) make it a significant risk for sites running the affected plugin.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress plugin ecosystem. The plugin is distributed via the official WordPress plugin repository and potentially through third-party marketplaces. Since no patch is available, site administrators must consider removing or disabling the plugin until a fix is released. The absence of a patch also raises concerns about the vendor's responsiveness and the overall security posture of the plugin's supply chain.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
• Base Score: 4.3 (Medium)
• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – The vulnerability can be exploited remotely.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – No special conditions are required for exploitation.
• Privileges Required (PR): None (N) – No authentication is needed.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) – The attacker does not need to trick a user.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – The vulnerable component and the impacted component are the same.
• Confidentiality (C): None (N) – No direct data disclosure.
• Integrity (I): Low (L) – Limited ability to modify data.
• Availability (A): None (N) – No impact on service availability.

Threat Level: Medium. The low attack complexity and lack of required privileges make this vulnerability easy to exploit, but the impact is limited to low integrity compromise. The absence of a patch increases the risk for unmanaged installations.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability stems from a Missing Authorization check (CWE-862) in the accordion-slider-gallery WordPress plugin. Specifically, the plugin fails to properly verify user permissions before executing certain actions, such as modifying slider settings, deleting galleries, or accessing administrative functions. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to send crafted HTTP requests to the WordPress backend, bypassing access controls.

The flaw likely resides in AJAX handlers or REST API endpoints that are intended for authenticated users but lack the necessary current_user_can() checks. For example, an endpoint like wp_ajax_accordion_slider_save_settings might be registered without verifying that the user has the manage_options capability. An attacker can directly call this endpoint, potentially altering plugin configurations or deleting slider data.

The attack surface is limited to the plugin's own functionality, meaning the attacker cannot directly compromise the entire WordPress installation, but they can manipulate the plugin's data and settings.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no official patch is available, a direct comparison is not possible. However, based on the vulnerability type, the following hypothetical code snippets illustrate the issue:

Vulnerable Code (hypothetical):

add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_accordion_slider_delete_gallery', 'accordion_slider_delete_gallery');
function accordion_slider_delete_gallery() {
    $gallery_id = intval($_POST['gallery_id']);
    // Missing capability check
    delete_post_meta($gallery_id, 'accordion_slider_data');
    wp_die();
}

Patched Code (hypothetical):

add_action('wp_ajax_accordion_slider_delete_gallery', 'accordion_slider_delete_gallery');
function accordion_slider_delete_gallery() {
    if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
        wp_die('Unauthorized', 403);
    }
    $gallery_id = intval($_POST['gallery_id']);
    delete_post_meta($gallery_id, 'accordion_slider_data');
    wp_die();
}

The patched version adds a current_user_can('manage_options') check and removes the nopriv prefix to ensure only authenticated administrators can access the function.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• A WordPress installation with the Accordion Slider Gallery plugin version <= 2.7.
• Network access to the target site.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable endpoint. Common patterns include wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with actions like accordion_slider_save_settings, accordion_slider_delete_gallery, or accordion_slider_update_slider.
2. Send a crafted POST request without authentication:

   curl -X POST http://target.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php \
        -d 'action=accordion_slider_delete_gallery&gallery_id=1'
   

3. If successful, the gallery with ID 1 will be deleted without requiring any login.

Note: No public exploit code is available. The above is a generic example based on the vulnerability type.

Blue Team (Detection & Defense)

Detection:

• Monitor for unusual AJAX requests to admin-ajax.php with actions related to the plugin (e.g., accordion_slider_*) from unauthenticated users.
• Look for HTTP 200 responses to such requests without prior authentication.

Defense:

• Immediately disable or remove the plugin until a patch is released.
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block unauthenticated requests to known vulnerable endpoints.
• Use a WordPress security plugin to add additional access controls.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:

  • POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=accordion_slider_* parameters from unauthenticated sources.
  • Unusual patterns in server logs showing repeated calls to plugin-specific AJAX handlers.

• File IOCs:

  • Modified or deleted accordion_slider_data post meta entries.
  • Changes to plugin settings stored in the wp_options table (e.g., accordion_slider_settings).

• Behavioral IOCs:

  • Sudden disappearance of slider galleries from the frontend.
  • Unexplained changes to slider configurations.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_62130_Accordion_Slider_Gallery {
    meta:
        description = "Detects exploitation attempts for CVE-2025-62130 in Accordion Slider Gallery plugin"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-62130"
    strings:
        $ajax_action = "accordion_slider_" ascii wide nocase
        $admin_ajax = "admin-ajax.php" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        $ajax_action and $admin_ajax and #ajax_action > 1
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-62130 - Missing Authorization in Accordion Slider Gallery
id: 8a4b3c2d-1e5f-6a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
status: experimental
description: Detects unauthenticated AJAX requests to vulnerable plugin endpoints
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: access
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'POST'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'admin-ajax.php'
        cs-uri-query|contains|all:
            - 'action=accordion_slider_'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate authenticated admin actions (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> $HOME_NET any (
    msg:"CVE-2025-62130 - Missing Authorization in Accordion Slider Gallery";
    flow:to_server,established;
    content:"POST"; http_method;
    content:"admin-ajax.php"; http_uri;
    content:"action=accordion_slider_"; http_client_body;
    classtype:attempted-admin;
    sid:10000001;
    rev:1;
    reference:cve,2025-62130;
)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable or remove the Accordion Slider Gallery plugin from all WordPress installations until an official patch is released.
2. Monitor server logs for any signs of exploitation (see IOCs).
3. Implement a WAF rule to block unauthenticated requests to admin-ajax.php with action=accordion_slider_* parameters.

Long-term Recommendations:

• Vendor: Release a patched version that includes proper capability checks (current_user_can()) for all AJAX and REST endpoints.
• Users: Regularly update all WordPress plugins and themes. Consider using a WordPress security plugin that adds an additional layer of access control.
• Developers: Follow the principle of least privilege and always verify user permissions before executing sensitive actions.

Patch Status: UNKNOWN. No official patch is available as of this report. Users should monitor the WordPress plugin repository for updates.

Valters IT
Securing Digital Frontiers