CVE-2025-23497
📋 TL;DR
This CSRF vulnerability in Albdesign Simple Project Manager WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into executing malicious actions, leading to stored cross-site scripting (XSS). Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in victims' browsers when they visit compromised pages. All WordPress sites using Simple Project Manager version 1.2.2 or earlier are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Albdesign Simple Project Manager WordPress Plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could compromise administrator accounts, inject persistent malicious scripts into website content, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or deface the website.
Likely Case
Attackers create malicious forms or links that trick logged-in administrators into unknowingly submitting requests that inject JavaScript payloads into the project manager, leading to session hijacking or credential theft.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF tokens and input validation, the attack would fail as unauthorized requests would be rejected and malicious scripts would be sanitized.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires social engineering to trick authenticated users into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised pages. The CSRF leads to stored XSS, making it more dangerous than typical CSRF.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version after 1.2.2 (check plugin repository for latest)
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Simple Project Manager'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update available. 5. If no update appears, manually download latest version from WordPress.org and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement CSRF Protection Manually
WordPressAdd nonce verification to plugin forms and AJAX requests to prevent CSRF attacks.
Modify plugin PHP files to include wp_nonce_field() in forms and check_admin_referer() or wp_verify_nonce() in form processing.
Disable Plugin Temporarily
WordPressDeactivate the plugin until patched to prevent exploitation.
Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins, find 'Simple Project Manager', click 'Deactivate'.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict administrative access to trusted IP addresses only using .htaccess or firewall rules.
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate XSS impact.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins, find 'Simple Project Manager', note version number. If version is 1.2.2 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
In WordPress database: SELECT option_value FROM wp_options WHERE option_name = 'active_plugins'; (look for simple-project-manager version in serialized data) OR check plugin header in /wp-content/plugins/simple-project-manager/simple-project-manager.phpVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify version is higher than 1.2.2. Test plugin functionality to ensure forms still work properly with CSRF protection.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific endpoints without referrer headers or with suspicious parameters.
- Multiple failed nonce verification attempts in WordPress debug logs.
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected JavaScript payloads in HTTP POST parameters to plugin endpoints.
- Requests from unusual sources to administrative plugin functions.
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("admin-ajax.php" OR "simple-project-manager") AND (POST AND ("script" OR "javascript" OR "onerror"))