All news with #wordpress tag

W3 Total Cache Plugin Critical PHP Command Injection

⚠️ A critical unauthenticated command injection (CVE-2025-9501) in the W3 Total Cache WordPress plugin allows attackers to execute arbitrary PHP via a crafted comment that abuses the _parse_dynamic_mfunc() routine. The developer released 2.8.13 on October 20 to address the flaw, but WordPress.org data indicate hundreds of thousands of sites may still be vulnerable. WPScan has produced a proof-of-concept exploit and plans public release on November 24, increasing the immediate risk for unpatched installations.

GootLoader Returns Using Custom Font to Conceal Payload

🔍 Huntress observed the return of GootLoader infections beginning October 27, 2025, with two cases leading to hands-on keyboard intrusions and domain controller compromise within 17 hours. The loader now embeds a custom WOFF2 font using Z85 encoding to substitute glyphs and render obfuscated filenames readable only in the victim browser. Actors deliver XOR-encrypted ZIPs via compromised WordPress comment endpoints and SEO-poisoned search results, and the archive is crafted to appear as benign text to many automated analysis tools while extracting a JavaScript payload on Windows.

Critical Post SMTP WordPress Plugin Flaw Enables Takeover

⚠️ A critical vulnerability in the popular Post SMTP WordPress plugin, which has more than 400,000 active installations, allowed unauthenticated attackers to read email logs — including password reset messages — and change any user password, enabling full account and site takeover. Wordfence reported active exploitation and urged immediate updates after detecting thousands of automated attacks. Administrators should install the patched release or disable the plugin immediately to prevent compromise.

CISA Adds Gladinet, CWP Flaws to KEV After Exploits

🚨 CISA added two vulnerabilities affecting Gladinet CentreStack/Triofox and Control Web Panel (CWP) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog after evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2025-11371 (CVSS 7.5) can expose files or directories to external parties, while CVE-2025-48703 (CVSS 9.0) is an OS command injection enabling remote code execution via the t_total parameter. Huntress reported live reconnaissance activity against Gladinet, and Federal civilian agencies must remediate by November 25, 2025.

Hackers Exploit Post SMTP Plugin to Hijack Admin Accounts

⚠️ WordPress sites using Post SMTP (≤3.6.0) are under active attack after disclosure of CVE-2025-11833, a critical (9.8) email log disclosure that lets unauthenticated actors read password-reset messages and hijack administrator accounts. A vendor patch, Post SMTP 3.6.1, was released Oct 29, but roughly 210,000 sites remain unpatched. Wordfence observed exploitation beginning Nov 1 and has blocked over 4,500 attempts; site owners should update or disable the plugin immediately.

Critical Auth Bypass in JobMonster WordPress Theme Attack

🔒 Threat actors are actively exploiting a critical authentication bypass in the JobMonster WordPress theme (CVE-2025-5397) that can lead to administrator account takeover under specific conditions. The flaw affects all versions up to 4.8.1 and is caused by the theme's check_login() function trusting external social login data without proper verification. To succeed, attackers typically need social login enabled and knowledge of an admin username or email. The issue is fixed in 4.8.2; immediate mitigations include upgrading, disabling social login, enabling two‑factor authentication, rotating credentials, and reviewing access logs.

Plugin Flaw Lets Subscribers Read Any Server File Now

⚠️ The Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall WordPress plugin (versions up to 4.23.81) contains a vulnerability (CVE-2025-11705) that allows low-privileged subscribers to read arbitrary files on the server. The issue is caused by missing capability checks in the GOTMLS_ajax_scan() AJAX handler, enabling attackers who can obtain a nonce to access sensitive files like wp-config.php. The developer released v4.23.83 on October 15, which adds a proper capability check via a new GOTMLS_kill_invalid_user() function; administrators of membership sites should update immediately.

Mass Attacks Exploit Outdated WordPress Plugins in 2024

🔒 A large-scale campaign is exploiting outdated GutenKit and Hunk Companion WordPress plugins to achieve remote code execution by chaining unauthenticated or missing-authorization REST endpoint flaws (CVE-2024-9234, CVE-2024-9707, CVE-2024-11972). Wordfence observed 8.7 million blocked attempts across October 8–9. Attackers host a malicious ZIP plugin on GitHub that installs backdoors, and often drop the vulnerable wp-query-console plugin to gain RCE. Administrators should update affected plugins and scan for indicators of compromise immediately.

Hidden SEO Links: Business Risks and How to Protect

🔍 Hidden blocks of links embedded on corporate websites can quietly erode search rankings and damage reputation by pointing to dubious domains such as pornography or gambling. Invisible to users but parsed by search engines and security tools, these links divert link equity and often trigger algorithmic penalties. Attackers inject them via compromised admin credentials, vulnerable CMS components, infected templates, or breached hosting. Regular updates, strict access controls, routine audits, backups, and mandatory 2FA help prevent and limit impact.

Smart Contracts Abused to Serve Malware on WordPress

🪙 Google Threat Intelligence Group links a financially motivated actor, UNC5142, to widespread compromises of WordPress sites that leverage EtherHiding and on-chain smart contracts to distribute information stealers such as Atomic, Lumma, Rhadamanthys and Vidar. The campaign injects a multi-stage JavaScript downloader (CLEARSHORT) into plugins, themes and databases to query malicious BNB Smart Chain contracts, which return encrypted landing pages that use ClickFix social engineering to trick Windows and macOS users into executing stealer payloads. Google flagged roughly 14,000 infected pages through June 2025, and observed a move to a three-contract proxy-like architecture since November 2024 that improves agility and resistance to takedown.

UNC5142 EtherHiding: Smart-Contract Malware Distribution

🔐 Since late 2023, Mandiant and the Google Threat Intelligence Group tracked UNC5142, a financially motivated cluster that compromises vulnerable WordPress sites to distribute information stealers. The actor's CLEARSHORT JavaScript loader uses Web3 to query smart contracts on the BNB Smart Chain that store ABIs, encrypted landing pages, AES keys, and payload pointers. By employing a three-contract Router-Logic-Storage design and abusing legitimate hosting (Cloudflare Pages, GitHub, MediaFire), operators can rotate lures and update payload references on-chain without changing injected scripts, enabling resilient, low-cost campaigns that GTIG found on ~14,000 injected pages by June 2025 and which showed no on-chain updates after July 23, 2025.

Slider Revolution Arbitrary File Read Affects 4M Sites

⚠ A critical Arbitrary File Read vulnerability (CVE-2025-9217) was found in the widely used Slider Revolution WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to 6.7.36. The bug allowed authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher to read arbitrary files on the server by abusing two export parameters, used_svg and used_images. ThemePunch released a patch (6.7.37) on August 28 after a report to Wordfence; administrators should update immediately to protect site data.

Critical Service Finder Bug Lets Attackers Hijack Sites

🔒 A critical authentication bypass in the Service Finder Bookings plugin (CVE-2025-5947, CVSS 9.8) allows unauthenticated attackers to sign in as any user, including administrators. The root cause is improper cookie validation in the account-switching function service_finder_switch_back(), which enables privilege escalation. Maintainers released Service Finder version 6.1 on July 17, 2025 to address the issue, and exploitation attempts have been observed since August 1, 2025. Administrators should upgrade immediately and audit sites for unauthorized accounts or unexpected changes.

Hackers Inject Redirecting JavaScript via WordPress Themes

🔒 Security researchers warn of an active campaign that modifies WordPress theme files (notably functions.php) to inject malicious JavaScript that redirects visitors to fraudulent verification and malware distribution pages. The injected loader uses obfuscated references to advertising services but posts to a controller domain that serves a remote script from porsasystem[.]com and an iframe mimicking Cloudflare assets. The activity has ties to the Kongtuke traffic distribution system and highlights the need to patch themes, enforce strong credentials, and scan for persistent backdoors.

Critical auth bypass in Service Finder WordPress theme

🔒 A critical authentication bypass in the Service Finder WordPress theme (tracked as CVE-2025-5947) is being actively exploited to obtain administrator access. The flaw affects versions 6.0 and older and results from improper validation of the original_user_id cookie in the service_finder_switch_back() function. Aonetheme released a patch in version 6.1 on July 17; site operators should update immediately or discontinue use.

SystemBC Powers REM Proxy, Compromising ~1,500 VPS

🛡️ Lumen Technologies' Black Lotus Labs reports that SystemBC, a C-based SOCKS5 proxy malware, powers roughly 80% of the REM Proxy network and averages about 1,500 compromised hosts per day. The botnet operates through more than 80 C2 servers and mainly targets VPS instances from major commercial providers, often via dropped shell scripts that install the proxy implant. REM Proxy also advertises pools of compromised Mikrotik routers and open proxies and has been used by actors tied to TransferLoader and the Morpheus ransomware group.

Critical SQLi in Paid Memberships Subscriptions Plugin

🔒 A critical unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability (CVE-2025-49870) was discovered in the WordPress Paid Memberships Subscriptions plugin affecting versions up to 2.15.1, used by over 10,000 sites. Patchstack Alliance researcher ChuongVN reported the flaw, which stems from unsafe handling of PayPal IPN payment IDs. The vendor released 2.15.2 to enforce numeric validation of payment IDs, adopt prepared statements and strengthen input handling; administrators should update immediately.

WordPress Plugin and Theme Vulnerabilities Surge in 2025

⚠️ Recent investigations show a wave of active attacks against WordPress plugins and themes, including Gravity Forms, the Alone and Motors themes, and Post SMTP. Exploits have enabled remote code execution, administrator account takeover, and mass site compromise, while the Efimer trojan has been distributed from some infected sites. Vendors have issued patches, but many sites remain unpatched—site owners should update immediately and follow hardening best practices.