Overview
In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, a new vulnerability has been discovered that affects the Request a Quote Form plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-8420, exposes websites using this plugin to the risk of Remote Code Execution (RCE). This is especially concerning as it allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
The risk is present in versions less than, or equal to, 2.5.2 of the plugin. As WordPress is one of the most extensive content management systems globally, the vulnerability could potentially affect millions of websites, making it a high priority issue for all users of this plugin.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-8420
Severity: High (8.1 CVSS)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Request a Quote Form WordPress Plugin | Less than or equal to 2.5.2
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from the emd_form_builder_lite_pagenum function in the Request a Quote Form plugin for WordPress. This function fails to validate user input correctly before using it as a function name. This allows unauthenticated attackers to provide input that the plugin interprets as a function name, leading to arbitrary code execution on the server. However, parameters cannot be passed to the functions called.
Conceptual Example Code
This conceptual example demonstrates how an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a malicious HTTP request to the server. The request could trick the server into executing arbitrary code:
POST /emd_form_builder_lite_pagenum HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "function_name": "arbitrary_code" }In the above example, `arbitrary_code` is the code that the attacker wants the server to execute. The server interprets this as a function name and attempts to execute it, leading to Remote Code Execution.
Mitigation and Remediation
The most effective way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the vendor patch for the Request a Quote Form plugin. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation. These systems can be configured to block or alert on attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these are only temporary solutions, and applying the vendor patch should be the ultimate goal to secure the system fully.