CVE-2025-11163 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) affecting the SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer plugin for WordPress, developed by wpmudev. The issue arises from a missing capability check on the update_submodule() function in all versions up to and including 3.14.3. This flaw allows authenticated attackers with as low a privilege as Subscriber-level access to modify the plugin's settings without proper authorization. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating a medium severity level. The impact is limited to integrity, as attackers can alter plugin settings but cannot affect confidentiality or availability directly. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no patches have been linked at the time of publication. This vulnerability could be leveraged to manipulate SEO settings, potentially redirecting traffic, injecting malicious content, or degrading site SEO performance, which could indirectly affect the website's reputation and user trust. Since WordPress is widely used, and SmartCrawl is a popular SEO plugin, the scope of affected systems is significant, especially for websites relying on this plugin for search engine optimization.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to websites using the SmartCrawl SEO plugin. Unauthorized modification of SEO settings could lead to reputational damage, loss of customer trust, and potential indirect financial impacts due to degraded search engine rankings or malicious redirection. Organizations in sectors heavily reliant on online presence, such as e-commerce, media, and digital services, could be particularly affected. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise sensitive data confidentiality or availability, the integrity breach could facilitate further attacks, such as phishing or malware distribution, if attackers manipulate SEO content or links. Given the medium severity and the low privilege required for exploitation, attackers could exploit compromised subscriber accounts or social engineering to gain access. This risk is heightened in environments where user account management and monitoring are lax. Compliance with European data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) may also be indirectly impacted if the integrity breach leads to unauthorized data exposure or processing through manipulated site content.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately audit WordPress sites to identify installations of the SmartCrawl SEO plugin and verify the version in use. 2) Restrict Subscriber-level user account creation and monitor for suspicious account activity, as low-privilege users can exploit this vulnerability. 3) Apply principle of least privilege by reviewing and minimizing user roles and capabilities, especially for non-administrative users. 4) Monitor plugin settings for unauthorized changes using file integrity monitoring or WordPress activity log plugins to detect suspicious modifications promptly. 5) Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or uninstalling the SmartCrawl plugin on critical sites or deploying Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block attempts to invoke the update_submodule() function. 6) Educate site administrators and users about the risk of phishing or social engineering that could lead to compromised subscriber accounts. 7) Regularly update WordPress core and plugins once patches become available to remediate the vulnerability.