CVE-2025-31763
📋 TL;DR
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WordPress Cache control by Cacholong plugin allows attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions. This affects all WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin. The vulnerability enables attackers to modify plugin settings without the administrator's knowledge.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Cache control by Cacholong 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 disable caching, modify security settings, or potentially chain with other vulnerabilities to gain further access to the WordPress site.
Likely Case
Attackers trick administrators into changing plugin settings, potentially degrading site performance or disabling security features.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and user awareness, the risk is limited to minor configuration changes that can be easily reverted.
🎯 Exploit Status
CSRF attacks typically require social engineering to trick authenticated users. No authentication bypass is needed for the vulnerability itself.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.4.2 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Cache control by Cacholong' and click 'Update Now'. 4. Alternatively, download latest version from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary Plugin Deactivation
allDisable the vulnerable plugin until patched version is available
wp plugin deactivate cache-control-by-cacholong
CSRF Protection via .htaccess
linuxAdd CSRF protection headers at web server level
Header set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"
Header set Content-Security-Policy "frame-ancestors 'self'"
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict SameSite cookie policies for WordPress admin sessions
- Educate administrators about CSRF risks and safe browsing practices
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'Cache control by Cacholong' version 5.4.1 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin get cache-control-by-cacholong --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 5.4.2 or later in WordPress admin panel📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected plugin setting changes in WordPress logs
- Multiple failed CSRF token validations
Network Indicators:
- POST requests to wp-admin/admin.php without proper referrer headers
- Suspicious iframe or form submissions targeting plugin endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (event="plugin_updated" OR event="option_updated") AND plugin="cache-control-by-cacholong"