CVE-2025-23832
📋 TL;DR
This CSRF vulnerability in the WordPress Admin Cleanup plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions, which can lead to stored cross-site scripting (XSS). Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in victims' browsers when they visit compromised pages. WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the Admin Cleanup plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Admin Cleanup 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 would typically inject malicious scripts to steal administrator session cookies or credentials, potentially gaining full control over the WordPress site.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and content security policies, the attack would be blocked, preventing script execution and unauthorized actions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires social engineering to trick an authenticated administrator into clicking a malicious link. The CSRF leads to stored XSS payload injection.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.0.3 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Admin Cleanup' and check if update is available. 4. Click 'Update Now' to update to version 1.0.3 or later. 5. Verify the plugin is active and functioning correctly.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Admin Cleanup Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
Implement CSRF Tokens
allAdd CSRF protection to WordPress forms if custom development is possible
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the Admin Cleanup plugin immediately
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate XSS impact
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins, find Admin Cleanup and verify version is 1.0.2 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin list --name=admin-cleanup --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify Admin Cleanup plugin version shows 1.0.3 or later in WordPress plugins list📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php with Admin Cleanup parameters
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations in WordPress logs
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from WordPress site after administrator visits
- Suspicious iframe or script injections in page responses
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("admin-cleanup" OR "csrf" OR "nonce") AND status=200