Overview
The present cybersecurity discussion revolves around a critical vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-4380, that affects the Ads Pro Plugin – Multi-Purpose WordPress Advertising Manager plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability potentially puts countless WordPress sites at risk. It’s significant because it allows unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary files on the server. This could lead to unauthorized access, leakage of sensitive data, or complete system compromise if the attacker manages to upload and include .php files containing malicious code.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-4380
Severity: Critical, CVSS Score 8.1
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Ads Pro Plugin – Multi-Purpose WordPress Advertising Manager | <= 4.89 How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability resides in the `bsa_preview_callback` function of the Ads Pro Plugin. An attacker can exploit the ‘bsa_template’ parameter via a specially crafted request. This allows the attacker to include and execute arbitrary files on the server. If the attacker manages to upload PHP files containing malicious code, the vulnerability can be used to bypass access controls, leak sensitive data, or even compromise the system.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. The attacker sends a POST request to the vulnerable endpoint with a malicious payload.
POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=bsa_preview_callback HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
bsa_template=../../../../../../../etc/passwdIn the above example, the attacker tries to read the `/etc/passwd` file from the server, which contains user account information. If successful, this could leak sensitive data.
It’s important to note that this is a conceptual example and the actual exploit may differ based on the server configuration and the attacker’s objectives.
Mitigation Guidance
The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the vendor’s patch. If the patch is not available yet or cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can offer temporary protection against this vulnerability. Regularly updating your software and conducting security audits can help prevent such vulnerabilities in the future.