Overview
This article details a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-13684, affecting the ARK Related Posts plugin for WordPress. Version 2.19 of the plugin is susceptible to this vulnerability, allowing unauthenticated attackers to potentially modify the plugin’s configuration settings if they can trick a site administrator into clicking a malicious link or performing other actions that trigger a crafted request.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from the missing or insufficient nonce validation within the ark_rp_options_page function. Nonce validation is a crucial security measure that prevents attackers from forging requests on behalf of authenticated users. Without proper nonce validation, an attacker can construct a malicious URL or form that, when visited or submitted by a logged-in administrator, will inadvertently modify the plugin’s settings.
The vulnerable code can be found in the plugin’s source code:
By crafting a specific HTTP request with the desired configuration changes, an attacker can potentially alter settings related to how related posts are displayed, which could be leveraged for malicious purposes like injecting spam links or redirecting users.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) assigns this vulnerability a score of 4.3 (MEDIUM).
- CVSS Vector: (Details not available in provided data – this would typically be something like: AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N)
This score reflects the fact that the vulnerability requires user interaction (an administrator clicking a malicious link), which lowers the exploitability score. The impact is limited to the modification of plugin settings, which are unlikely to directly compromise the entire WordPress installation, thus resulting in a medium severity.
Possible Impact
A successful CSRF attack could allow an attacker to:
- Modify the appearance of related posts on the website.
- Inject malicious links into related post sections, potentially leading to phishing attacks or malware distribution.
- Redirect users to attacker-controlled websites.
- Deface the website by manipulating the related posts display.
The overall impact depends on the specific configuration options that the attacker is able to modify. In some cases, the impact may be minimal, while in other cases, it could lead to significant damage to the website’s reputation and user experience.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk of this vulnerability, it is strongly recommended that you:
- Update the ARK Related Posts plugin to the latest version. Check the WordPress plugin repository or the plugin developer’s website for available updates. A patched version will include proper nonce validation to prevent CSRF attacks.
- Be cautious when clicking links or opening attachments from unknown sources. CSRF attacks often rely on tricking users into performing actions without their knowledge.
- Implement a web application firewall (WAF) WAFs can help filter malicious requests and block potential CSRF attacks.
- Monitor your website’s logs for any suspicious activity. Look for unusual requests to the plugin’s settings page.
