CVE-2025-53316
📋 TL;DR
This CSRF vulnerability in the WP GDPR Cookie Consent 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 visitors' browsers when they view affected pages. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WP GDPR Cookie Consent 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 persistent malicious scripts that steal administrator credentials, redirect visitors to malicious sites, or deface the website for all visitors.
Likely Case
Attackers create fake admin panels or forms that trick administrators into executing actions that inject malicious JavaScript into website pages.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF tokens and input validation, the vulnerability would be prevented, requiring attackers to find alternative attack vectors.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking an authenticated administrator into clicking a malicious link or visiting a crafted page. CSRF attacks are well-understood and commonly weaponized.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after 1.0.0
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'WP GDPR Cookie Consent'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update is available, deactivate and delete the plugin, then install the latest version from WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the WP GDPR Cookie Consent plugin until patched version is available
wp plugin deactivate wp-gdpr-cookie-consent
Implement CSRF protection middleware
allAdd custom WordPress filter to validate nonce tokens for plugin admin actions
Add custom code to theme functions.php or create a custom plugin with CSRF validation
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution
- Use web application firewall (WAF) rules to block suspicious admin requests
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'WP GDPR Cookie Consent' version 1.0.0 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin get wp-gdpr-cookie-consent --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is greater than 1.0.0 in WordPress admin panel📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed admin actions from same IP
- Unusual POST requests to plugin admin endpoints without referrer headers
- Admin users reporting unexpected plugin configuration changes
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with plugin-specific actions from non-admin IPs
- Cross-origin requests to plugin endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" AND action="gdpr_cookie_consent_*") AND NOT user_role="administrator"