dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2025-12170

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Checkbox plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'wp_ajax_nopriv_checkbox_clean_log' AJAX endpoint in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.10. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to clear log files.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Checkbox WordPress plugin has a missing capability check on the 'wp_ajax_nopriv_checkbox_clean_log' AJAX endpoint. The 'wp_ajax_nopriv_' prefix allows unauthenticated access, and without proper authorization verification, any visitor can trigger the log file clearing function.

MitigationUpdate the Checkbox plugin to version 2.8.11 or later which includes proper capability checks on the AJAX endpoint. Until updated, consider disabling the plugin or implementing firewall rules to block the endpoint.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if Checkbox plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'Checkbox' or 'Checkbox WP' in the plugin list. Note the installed version number displayed below the plugin name.
    Affected if Checkbox plugin is present in the plugins list
  2. Compare installed version against fixed release
    Compare the installed version number to 2.8.11. The plugin version is shown on the Plugins page. Versions before 2.8.11 are affected (e.g., 2.8.10, 2.8.9, etc.).
    Affected if Installed version is lower than 2.8.11
  3. Verify plugin is active
    On the Plugins > Installed Plugins page, confirm the Checkbox plugin shows as 'Active' under the plugin status. Inactive plugins do not expose the vulnerable endpoint.
    Affected if Checkbox plugin is active and version is below 2.8.11
  4. Test AJAX endpoint accessibility
    Send a POST request to your site's wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=checkbox_clean_log. Example via curl: curl -X POST https://yoursite.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php -d 'action=checkbox_clean_log'. A response different from a permission denied or 401 error indicates the endpoint is reachable without authentication.
    Affected if Endpoint responds without requiring authentication (no login or capability check failure)
  5. Check for log file modification
    Examine log files created by the plugin (typically in wp-content/uploads/checkbox-logs/ or similar path). If logs were recently cleared without admin action, this may indicate exploitation.
    Affected if Log files have been cleared without authorized admin activity

The environment is affected if the Checkbox WordPress plugin is active and running a version lower than 2.8.11, and the AJAX endpoint is accessible without authentication.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the Checkbox plugin to version 2.8.11 or later which includes proper capability checks on the AJAX endpoint. Until updated, consider disabling the plugin or implementing firewall rules to block the endpoint.

Recommended fix High confidence

Version 2.8.11 or later

  1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Find the 'Checkbox' plugin
  4. Check if an update is available and update to version 2.8.11 or higher
  5. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-12170 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data