CVE-2025-31736
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2025-31736 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the richtexteditor WordPress plugin that allows attackers to bypass access controls and perform unauthorized actions. This affects all WordPress sites running the plugin version 1.0.1 or earlier. The vulnerability enables privilege escalation and unauthorized content manipulation.
💻 Affected Systems
- richtexteditor 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 gain administrative privileges, modify or delete content, inject malicious scripts, or take full control of the WordPress site.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users could edit or publish content they shouldn't have access to, potentially defacing the site or injecting malicious content.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and authentication checks, impact would be limited to authorized users only performing intended actions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires some level of access but minimal technical skill. The vulnerability is in access control logic, making exploitation straightforward once identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.0.2 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins
3. Find 'Rich Text Editor' plugin
4. Click 'Update Now' if update available
5. If no update, deactivate and delete plugin
6. Install fresh version from WordPress repository
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable plugin
allDeactivate the richtexteditor plugin to eliminate the vulnerability
wp plugin deactivate richtexteditor
Restrict plugin access
allUse WordPress role management to restrict who can access plugin functionality
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitor for unauthorized content changes
- Use web application firewall rules to block suspicious plugin-related requests
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins. Look for 'Rich Text Editor' with version 1.0.1 or earlier.Check Version:
wp plugin get richtexteditor --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.0.2 or later in WordPress admin panel. Test access controls by attempting unauthorized actions.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized POST requests to richtexteditor endpoints
- User role changes without proper authorization
- Content modifications from non-admin users
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /wp-content/plugins/richtexteditor/ from unauthorized users
- Unusual pattern of content update requests
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (uri_path="/wp-content/plugins/richtexteditor/" OR plugin_name="richtexteditor") AND (user_role!="administrator" OR auth_failure=true)