Overview
CVE-2025-12525 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting the Locker Content WordPress plugin, version 1.0.0. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass the plugin’s content locking mechanism and access content that should be restricted. The vulnerability resides in the handling of the lockerco_submit_post AJAX endpoint.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from a lack of proper access control checks on the lockerco_submit_post AJAX endpoint. This endpoint is intended to be used to handle submissions related to locked content. However, because it doesn’t adequately verify user authentication or authorization, an attacker can send crafted requests to this endpoint and retrieve the protected content without needing to unlock it via the intended methods.
Specifically, by sending a request to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with the action parameter set to lockerco_submit_post, and manipulating other parameters (e.g., post ID) an unauthenticated user can trigger the plugin to reveal the locked content.
CVSS Analysis
- CVSS Score: 5.3
- Vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
- Explanation: This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3, indicating a Medium severity. It is exploitable over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L). No privileges are required (PR:N), and no user interaction is necessary (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U). The impact is limited to low confidentiality (C:L) with no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N). This means an attacker can read sensitive content, but cannot modify or delete anything, nor can they disrupt the service.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow unauthenticated attackers to:
- View content that was intended to be protected, such as premium content, members-only information, or sensitive data.
- Potentially gather information that could be used for further attacks.
- Damage the reputation of the website owner by exposing content that should be restricted.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The recommended course of action is to:
- Update the Locker Content plugin: Check for an updated version of the plugin that addresses this vulnerability. The plugin developer should release a patch to fix the access control issue.
- Disable the plugin: If an update is not immediately available, consider temporarily disabling the Locker Content plugin until a patched version is released.
- Monitor for suspicious activity: Review your website logs for any unusual requests to the
/wp-admin/admin-ajax.phpendpoint, specifically those involving thelockerco_submit_postaction. - Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can help detect and block malicious requests attempting to exploit this vulnerability.
