dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2025-23534

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Mark Winiarski WPLingo wplingo allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects WPLingo: from n/a through <= 1.1.2.

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 · moderate confidence

WPLingo WordPress plugin versions up to 1.2.1 contain a missing authorization vulnerability allowing attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels. The plugin fails to properly validate user permissions before allowing access to certain functionality, potentially enabling unauthorized users to perform actions they should not have access to.

MitigationApply the latest available patch or update to WPLingo version 1.2.1 or later. If no update exists, implement proper WordPress capability checks (current_user_can) and nonce validation on all sensitive plugin functions, and restrict access to admin-only functions.

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

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 installed WPLingo plugin version
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and locate WPLingo. The version number is displayed below the plugin name. Alternatively, check the main plugin file header in wp-content/plugins/wplingo/ for the 'Version' comment.
    Affected if The installed version is 1.2.1 or lower (no version specified after 1.2.1 indicates the fix may not be applied).
  2. Identify users with subscriber-level access
    Go to Users > All Users in WordPress admin. Review the role column for any users assigned the Subscriber role or custom roles with limited capabilities.
    Affected if Any user with a low-privilege role (Subscriber, Contributor, or custom role) exists and could potentially access restricted plugin functions if the vulnerability is present.
  3. Inspect plugin PHP files for capability checks
    Examine the main plugin files (typically wplingo.php or class files in includes/ directory) for calls to WordPress functions like current_user_can, user_can, or capability checks before executing sensitive operations.
    Affected if Plugin code lacks current_user_can() calls or similar permission validation before performing administrative or sensitive actions.
  4. Verify nonce validation on plugin AJAX actions
    Search plugin PHP files for AJAX action handlers (wp_ajax_ and wp_ajax_nopriv_ hooks). Check if these handlers include nonce verification using check_ajax_referer or wp_verify_nonce.
    Affected if AJAX endpoints registered with wp_ajax_nopriv_ exist, or AJAX handlers lack nonce validation, allowing unauthenticated or unauthorized access.
  5. Test access to admin-only plugin functions
    Using a low-privilege user account (Subscriber role), attempt to access plugin admin pages or send direct requests to plugin AJAX endpoints. Observe whether requests are blocked or processed.
    Affected if Low-privilege users can access administrative plugin functions or execute actions that should require Administrator or Editor privileges.

If the WPLingo plugin version is 1.2.1 or lower AND low-privilege users can access sensitive plugin functions without proper capability checks, the environment is affected by this missing authorization vulnerability.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the latest available patch or update to WPLingo version 1.2.1 or later. If no update exists, implement proper WordPress capability checks (current_user_can) and nonce validation on all sensitive plugin functions, and restrict access to admin-only functions.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2025-23534 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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