CVE-2025-1043 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability classified under CWE-918, affecting the 'Embed Any Document – Embed PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel Files' WordPress plugin developed by awsmin. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 2.7.5 and is exploitable via the 'embeddoc' shortcode functionality. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can leverage this flaw to induce the server to send crafted HTTP requests to arbitrary destinations, including internal network resources that are otherwise inaccessible externally. This SSRF can be used to probe internal services, potentially exposing sensitive information or enabling unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication and has a low attack complexity, making it a significant risk in environments where Contributor-level accounts are common. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) reflects network attack vector, low complexity, privileges required, no user interaction, scope change, and partial confidentiality and integrity impact without availability impact. No patches or public exploits are currently reported, but the risk remains due to the potential for lateral movement and internal service compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations relying on WordPress sites with multiple contributors and internal services accessible from the web server.

The SSRF vulnerability allows authenticated attackers to make arbitrary HTTP requests from the WordPress server to internal or external systems. This can lead to unauthorized access to internal services that are not exposed externally, potentially revealing sensitive configuration data, credentials, or other confidential information. Attackers might also manipulate internal APIs or services, causing data integrity issues. While availability impact is not indicated, the confidentiality and integrity risks can facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement within the network, or data exfiltration. Organizations with Contributor-level users on affected WordPress sites are at risk, especially if internal services are accessible from the web server. This vulnerability can undermine network segmentation and increase the attack surface, particularly in environments where internal services trust requests originating from the WordPress server. The medium CVSS score reflects the moderate but significant risk posed by this vulnerability.

1. Immediately restrict Contributor-level and higher user privileges to trusted individuals only, minimizing the number of users who can exploit this vulnerability. 2. Implement strict network segmentation and firewall rules to limit the WordPress server's ability to initiate outbound HTTP requests to internal services, effectively reducing SSRF impact. 3. Monitor and log outbound HTTP requests from the WordPress server to detect anomalous or unauthorized access attempts to internal resources. 4. Disable or remove the 'Embed Any Document' plugin if it is not essential to reduce the attack surface. 5. If possible, apply any vendor patches or updates once released; in the absence of patches, consider applying Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block suspicious SSRF patterns targeting the 'embeddoc' shortcode. 6. Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on SSRF and privilege misuse scenarios within WordPress environments. 7. Educate users with Contributor-level access about the risks and encourage strong authentication practices to prevent account compromise.