Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2025-64635

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-16
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
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Syed Balkhi Feeds for YouTube feeds-for-youtube allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Feeds for YouTube: from n/a through <= 2.4.0.

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

The Feeds for YouTube WordPress plugin (versions up to 2.4.0) has a missing authorization vulnerability that allows attackers to exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels. This likely enables unauthorized users to access or manipulate YouTube feed data without proper capability checks.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version of Feeds for YouTube when available, or disable the plugin until a patch is released. If a fix is unavailable, review and enforce proper WordPress capability checks and nonce verification on all AJAX and admin actions.

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 the installed version of the Feeds for YouTube plugin
    In the WordPress admin dashboard, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Feeds for YouTube' (or 'Feeds for YouTube , WordPress' in newer listings). The version number is displayed below the plugin name. Alternatively, check the plugin's main PHP file (usually in wp-content/plugins/feeds-for-youtube/) for the 'Version' header in the plugin comment block.
    Affected if The version listed is 2.4.0 or any version below 2.4.0 (e.g., 2.3.x, 2.2.x, etc.).
  2. Inspect AJAX action handlers for capability checks
    Examine the plugin's PHP files, particularly any file handling AJAX requests (often named ajax.php or containing add_action('wp_ajax_', ...) calls). Look for the function hooks like wp_ajax_nopriv_* and verify whether each admin or privileged action includes a current_user_can() or similar capability check before executing sensitive operations.
    Affected if Any AJAX action handler that modifies or retrieves YouTube feed data lacks a current_user_can() check or other authorization verification, or if wp_ajax_nopriv_ hooks are present for actions that should require authentication.
  3. Review admin page access controls
    Check the plugin's admin menu registration (add_menu_page, add_submenu_page) and any admin_init or admin_menu hooks. Verify that callback functions for admin pages performing data modifications (such as saving feed settings, clearing caches, or updating API keys) include proper capability verification using current_user_can('manage_options') or a comparable capability.
    Affected if Admin actions for configuring YouTube feed settings, API credentials, or data manipulation can be accessed by users lacking administrator-level permissions without any capability gate.
  4. Test for unauthorized access via direct request simulation
    If you have a test WordPress installation, create a low-privilege user role (e.g., Subscriber). Log in as that user and attempt to access plugin AJAX endpoints or admin actions directly via curl or browser developer tools, sending requests without valid nonces or authentication tokens where a privileged user would normally be required.
    Affected if The requests succeed and return data or modify settings when made by an unauthorized user role, indicating the missing authorization vulnerability is present.

A user is affected if the Feeds for YouTube plugin version is 2.4.0 or lower and the plugin's AJAX handlers or admin actions lack proper capability checks, allowing unauthorized users to access or modify YouTube feed data.

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 to the latest version of Feeds for YouTube when available, or disable the plugin until a patch is released. If a fix is unavailable, review and enforce proper WordPress capability checks and nonce verification on all AJAX and admin actions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to the latest version of Feeds for YouTube beyond version 2.4.0 (check wordpress.org for the current stable release)

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the 'Feeds for YouTube' plugin by Syed Balkhi
  4. Check if an update is available (navigate to Dashboard > Updates or the plugin's individual page)
  5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  6. After updating, verify the plugin is functioning correctly on the frontend
  7. If no update appears in WordPress, manually download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins/feeds-for-youtube and upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2025-64635 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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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