Overview
A missing authorization vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-66075, has been discovered in the WP Legal Pages WP Cookie Notice for GDPR, CCPA & ePrivacy Consent plugin (gdpr-cookie-consent) for WordPress. This vulnerability allows attackers to potentially exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels. Specifically, versions up to and including 4.0.3 are affected. This could allow unauthorized users to modify plugin settings or perform other actions they should not be permitted to do.
Technical Details
The core issue lies in the plugin’s failure to properly validate user roles and permissions before granting access to certain functionalities. This “Missing Authorization” issue can lead to “Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.” This means that an attacker, even with minimal privileges, might be able to bypass intended security restrictions and access administrative functions. The specific endpoints or functions vulnerable are not detailed but the root cause is insufficient access control enforcement.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) does not provide a CVSS score for CVE-2025-66075. The severity is listed as N/A. However, a broken access control vulnerability can be quite severe, depending on the scope of functions exposed. Without a CVSS score, evaluating the risk is more difficult, so a conservative approach should be taken.
Possible Impact
The potential impact of this vulnerability could include:
- Unauthorized Modification of Plugin Settings: Attackers could change cookie consent configurations, potentially violating GDPR, CCPA, or other privacy regulations.
- Data Exposure: Depending on the compromised settings, attackers might be able to access or modify data related to user consent.
- Website Defacement: An attacker may use this as a stepping stone to compromise other systems.
- Privilege Escalation: This vulnerability could be chained with other vulnerabilities to gain even higher levels of access to the WordPress site.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The most important step is to update the WP Cookie Notice for GDPR, CCPA & ePrivacy Consent plugin to the latest available version as soon as a patch is released. A fix will likely be available in a future version, so monitor the plugin’s changelog and update immediately when it becomes available.
In the interim, consider the following preventative measures:
- Monitor User Activity: Closely monitor user activity logs for any suspicious behavior, especially actions related to plugin settings.
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can help detect and block malicious requests targeting the vulnerability, but its effectiveness may vary.
- Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure all WordPress users have only the necessary permissions to perform their tasks. Review user roles and remove unnecessary privileges.
