CVE-2025-3058: Unauthorized Modification Vulnerability in Xelion Webchat Plugin for WordPress

Overview

CVE-2025-3058 is a critical vulnerability found in the Xelion Webchat plugin for WordPress versions up to and including 9.1.0. This cybersecurity flaw exposes WordPress sites to severe threats, allowing unauthorized modification of data, leading to a potential privilege escalation. This vulnerability is significant because it affects a popular WordPress plugin, placing numerous websites and their users at risk. If exploited, attackers could gain unauthorized administrative access, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-3058
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Subscriber-level access and above)
User Interaction: None
Impact: Unauthorized modification of data, privilege escalation, potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Xelion Webchat for WordPress | Up to and including 9.1.0

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by taking advantage of a missing capability check on the xwc_save_settings() function in the Xelion Webchat plugin. Attackers, even with just a Subscriber-level access, can manipulate this function to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. By updating the default role for registration to administrator and enabling user registration, attackers can register themselves as administrators, gaining full access to the website’s functionalities and sensitive data.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using an HTTP request:

POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=UTF-8
action=xwc_save_settings&settings[default_role]=administrator&settings[user_registration]=1

In this request, the `action` parameter is set to `xwc_save_settings`, the function that is missing a capability check. The `settings` parameters are used to change the default role to administrator (`settings[default_role]=administrator`) and enable user registration (`settings[user_registration]=1`).

Mitigation Guidance

While the vendor prepares a patch to address this vulnerability, a few temporary mitigations can be applied. Deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can help monitor and block suspicious activities. It’s also advised to limit user registration and disable the Xelion Webchat plugin until a patch is available.