CVE-2025-0952

CVE-2025-0952: Eco Nature Theme - Subscriber+ Privilege Escalation & Denial of Service

Vulnerability Description:

The Eco Nature - Environment & Ecology WordPress Theme, in versions up to and including 2.0.4, is vulnerable to unauthorized data modification leading to a potential Denial of Service (DoS). This vulnerability stems from a missing capability check on the cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice AJAX action.

Severity:

  • CVSS Score: 8.1 (High)
  • CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Impact:

  • Unauthorized Data Modification: Authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access or higher can update option values.
  • Denial of Service (DoS): By manipulating certain option values, attackers can trigger errors that make the WordPress site inaccessible to legitimate users. This could involve setting options that cause fatal errors or prevent essential functions from running.
  • Potential Privilege Escalation: Although the direct impact is DoS, attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to enable user registration or manipulate other settings that indirectly lead to privilege escalation depending on the configuration and other installed plugins.

Known Exploits:

While a specific exploit might not be publicly available, the vulnerability description clearly outlines the attack vector:

  1. An attacker logs in with a Subscriber-level account (or any account with higher privileges).
  2. The attacker crafts a malicious AJAX request targeting the cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice action.
  3. The attacker modifies the request to include the desired option value to be changed.
  4. The server processes the request without proper capability checks, updating the option value.
  5. The attacker repeats this process with different option values until a DoS condition is triggered, or an indirect privilege escalation is achieved.

Remediation / Mitigation Strategy:

The recommended and primary remediation is to update the Eco Nature - Environment & Ecology WordPress Theme to the latest version. If a patched version (later than 2.0.4) is available, install it immediately. The update will likely include the necessary capability checks on the cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice AJAX action, preventing unauthorized modification of options.

If an update is not immediately available or feasible, the following mitigation strategies can be implemented, although they are less effective than patching:

  • Restrict User Registration: Disable user registration or implement a strict approval process. This limits the number of potential attackers with Subscriber-level access.

  • Monitor Option Changes: Implement auditing or monitoring of WordPress option changes. This can help detect suspicious activity and allow for a rapid response. WordPress security plugins often offer this functionality. Look for unusual or unexpected changes to critical options.

  • Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules: Consider deploying a WAF (e.g., Wordfence, Sucuri) and configuring rules to block requests to admin-ajax.php targeting the cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice action that do not originate from administrator-level users. This is a complex mitigation and requires thorough testing to avoid false positives. Example Wordfence Custom Rule (highly specific, use with caution and adapt as needed):

    SecRule REQUEST_URI "@streq /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" \
    "chain,id:987654321,phase:2,t:none,log,deny,msg:'Possible CVE-2025-0952 Exploitation Attempt',tag:'wordpress',tag:'eco-nature-theme',tag:'cve-2025-0952'"

    SecRule POST:action “@streq cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice”
    “chain,t:none” SecRule &CURRENT_USER->wp_capabilities.administrator “@eq 0” “t:none”

    Important: This WAF rule is a mitigation and should not be considered a replacement for patching. It may also cause false positives if the cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice action is legitimately used by other plugins or theme components with legitimate user roles. Thorough testing is required.

  • Review User Roles and Permissions: Ensure that users have the minimum necessary privileges. Avoid granting Subscriber-level access to users who do not require it.

  • Implement Input Validation: If you have the technical expertise, you could consider adding input validation to the cmsmasters_hide_admin_notice AJAX action yourself, although this is not recommended as a long-term solution. This should only be done by experienced WordPress developers who understand the security implications.

Long-Term Recommendations:

  • Stay Updated: Keep all WordPress themes and plugins updated to the latest versions to benefit from security patches.
  • Regular Security Audits: Perform regular security audits of your WordPress site to identify potential vulnerabilities.
  • Principle of Least Privilege: Grant users only the minimum necessary privileges required for their roles.

By implementing these remediation and mitigation strategies, you can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation of CVE-2025-0952. Remember that patching is always the preferred and most effective solution.

Assigner

Date

  • Published Date: 2025-03-14 05:24:03
  • Updated Date: 2025-03-14 06:15:25

More Details

CVE-2025-0952