CVE-2025-23821
📋 TL;DR
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Aleapp WP Cookies Alert WordPress plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions. This affects all WordPress sites using WP Cookies Alert versions up to and including 1.1.1. Successful exploitation could lead to stored XSS attacks against site visitors.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aleapp WP Cookies Alert 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 inject malicious JavaScript into the site that executes in visitors' browsers, potentially stealing session cookies, credentials, or performing actions on behalf of users.
Likely Case
Attackers create fake admin actions that modify plugin settings or inject malicious content, leading to defacement or credential theft from site visitors.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and content security policies, the attack surface is reduced, though the vulnerability still exists in the codebase.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking an authenticated administrator into clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised page.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version after 1.1.1
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'WP Cookies Alert' and check for updates. 4. If update is available, click 'Update Now'. 5. If no update is available, deactivate and delete the plugin immediately.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement CSRF Protection Headers
ApacheAdd security headers to WordPress to help mitigate CSRF attacks
Add to .htaccess: Header set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"
Add to .htaccess: Header set Content-Security-Policy "frame-ancestors 'self'"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Deactivate and remove the WP Cookies Alert plugin immediately
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for WP Cookies Alert version 1.1.1 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin list --name='wp-cookies-alert' --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is higher than 1.1.1 or confirm plugin is completely removed📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with wp_cookies_alert parameters
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations in WordPress logs
Network Indicators:
- Suspicious referrer headers in requests to WordPress admin endpoints
- Unexpected iframe or form submissions to plugin endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("wp_cookies_alert" OR "admin-ajax.php") AND ("POST" OR "csrf")