CVE-2025-11163 identifies an improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) in the SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer plugin for WordPress, developed by wpmudev. The vulnerability stems from the update_submodule() function lacking a proper capability check, which is a security control that verifies whether a user has the necessary permissions to perform certain actions. Due to this omission, any authenticated user with at least Subscriber-level privileges can invoke this function to update the plugin's settings without authorization. This flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 3.14.3. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), and requires only low privileges (PR:L). The impact is limited to integrity, as attackers can modify plugin configurations but cannot directly affect confidentiality or availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet. The plugin is widely used on WordPress sites for SEO optimization, making this vulnerability relevant for many websites. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation steps. This vulnerability could be leveraged to alter SEO settings maliciously, potentially redirecting traffic, injecting malicious content, or degrading site reputation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of their WordPress-based websites. Unauthorized modification of SEO plugin settings can lead to malicious SEO manipulation, such as redirecting visitors to phishing or malware sites, injecting spam links, or degrading search engine rankings. This can damage brand reputation, reduce web traffic, and potentially facilitate further attacks like phishing or malware distribution. Organizations relying heavily on their online presence for business operations, marketing, or customer engagement are particularly vulnerable. Since the exploit requires only Subscriber-level access, attackers could leverage compromised or weak user credentials to exploit the vulnerability. This risk is heightened in environments with multiple user roles and less stringent access controls. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact confidentiality or availability, the indirect consequences of manipulated SEO settings can lead to significant operational and financial harm. European regulatory frameworks like GDPR may also consider unauthorized data manipulation as a compliance issue if it leads to data integrity problems or customer impact.

European organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations to identify the presence of the SmartCrawl SEO plugin and its version. Until an official patch is released, the following specific mitigations are recommended: 1) Restrict user roles and permissions rigorously, ensuring that Subscriber-level accounts are limited and monitored; 2) Implement strong authentication measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of account compromise; 3) Temporarily disable or deactivate the SmartCrawl plugin if it is not critical to operations; 4) Monitor plugin settings and logs for unauthorized changes to detect exploitation attempts early; 5) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to block suspicious requests targeting the update_submodule() function; 6) Educate site administrators and users about the risk and encourage prompt reporting of suspicious activity; 7) Stay alert for official patches or updates from wpmudev and apply them immediately once available. Additionally, consider isolating WordPress administrative interfaces behind VPNs or IP whitelisting to reduce exposure.