Overview
In the world of cybersecurity, staying one step ahead of vulnerabilities is paramount. One such vulnerability affecting the hiWeb Export Posts plugin for WordPress has been identified, CVE-2025-7640. This vulnerability poses a significant threat to WordPress users who have the hiWeb Export Posts plugin installed on their sites. The vulnerability allows for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, potentially leading to unauthorized file deletions and even remote code execution. Given the widespread use of WordPress and this plugin, addressing this vulnerability is a critical task for administrators and developers alike.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-7640
Severity: High (CVSS: 8.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
hiWeb Export Posts | <= 0.9.0.0 How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the tool-dashboard-history.php file of the hiWeb Export Posts plugin. This file lacks proper nonce validation, allowing unauthenticated attackers to forge requests. If successful, the attacker can delete any file on the server, including crucial ones such as wp-config.php. This file deletion can lead to remote code execution. However, to exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs to trick a site administrator into performing an action, such as clicking on a malicious link.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual example of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:
POST /wp-admin/tools.php?page=hiweb-export-posts HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
action=delete&file=wp-config.phpIn this example, the attacker sends a POST request to the vulnerable page, specifying the delete action and targeting the wp-config.php file. If an administrator unwittingly triggers this request, the server will delete the wp-config.php, potentially leading to remote code execution.
Mitigation Guidance
It’s essential for users to mitigate this threat as soon as possible. The recommended solution is to apply the vendor patch when it’s available. In its absence, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. Always ensure that your systems are up-to-date, and be wary of any suspicious activity that could indicate an attempt to exploit this vulnerability.