CVE-2025-7956
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-08-28
Last updated on: 2025-08-29
Assigner: Wordfence
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
| Probability: | |
| Percentile: |
Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| wordpress | ajax_search_lite | 4.13.2 |
| wordpress | ajax_search_lite | 4.13.1 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-862 | The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability in the Ajax Search Lite WordPress plugin allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authorization checks in the AJAX search handler. As a result, attackers can repeatedly send AJAX requests to retrieve content from password-protected posts in small 100-character segments, effectively leaking protected information. [1]
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or protected content on your WordPress site. Attackers can access parts of password-protected posts without authentication, potentially exposing confidential information to unauthorized users, which can harm privacy and trust. [1]
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
This vulnerability can negatively impact compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA by enabling unauthorized access to protected or sensitive information. Exposure of such data may violate requirements for confidentiality and data security mandated by these standards. [1]
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
You can detect this vulnerability by monitoring for repeated AJAX requests to the Ajax Search Lite plugin's search handler that return content from password-protected posts without authentication. Specifically, look for HTTP requests to the plugin's AJAX endpoint that return partial content in 100-character windows. Using tools like curl or wget, you can attempt to issue such AJAX requests to see if protected content is exposed. For example, a curl command to test might be: curl -X POST https://yourwordpresssite.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=asl_search&search=yourquery. If the response includes content from protected posts without authentication, the vulnerability is present. [1]
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The immediate step to mitigate this vulnerability is to update the Ajax Search Lite plugin to version 4.13.2 or later, where the issue has been fixed by implementing proper authorization checks, enhanced sanitization, and escaping of output. Additionally, ensure that your WordPress installation and all plugins are kept up to date to benefit from security patches. If updating immediately is not possible, consider disabling the Ajax Search Lite plugin temporarily to prevent unauthorized data exposure. [1]