CVE-2025-11164 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) found in the Mavix Education theme for WordPress, developed by creativthemes. The flaw exists because the theme's AJAX handler for the action 'mavix_education_activate_plugin' lacks a proper capability check, allowing any authenticated user with at least Subscriber-level privileges to activate the Creativ Demo Importer plugin. This plugin activation capability is normally restricted to higher privilege roles such as Administrators. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0 of the theme. Exploitation requires an attacker to be authenticated on the WordPress site but does not require user interaction beyond that. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network via AJAX requests. The impact is limited to unauthorized modification of site data, specifically enabling the activation of plugins that could be used to introduce malicious code or alter site behavior. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting low impact on confidentiality and availability but a moderate impact on integrity due to unauthorized plugin activation. No patches or official fixes have been published yet, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability is particularly relevant for sites that allow Subscriber-level accounts or have weak user role management. Attackers could leverage this to escalate privileges indirectly by activating plugins that facilitate further compromise or persistent access.

For European organizations, especially those using WordPress with the Mavix Education theme, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Educational institutions, e-learning platforms, and content providers using this theme could see unauthorized plugin activations that may lead to further compromise or data integrity issues. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, the ability to activate plugins without proper authorization can be a stepping stone for attackers to deploy malicious plugins, backdoors, or alter site functionality. This could result in reputational damage, unauthorized content changes, or indirect data breaches. The risk is heightened in environments where Subscriber-level accounts are widely granted or where user role management is lax. European organizations with strict data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) must consider the potential compliance implications if unauthorized modifications lead to data exposure or loss of control over personal data.

1. Immediately review and restrict user roles and permissions, minimizing the number of accounts with Subscriber-level or higher access. 2. Implement custom authorization checks or filters in the WordPress theme or via security plugins to enforce capability checks on the 'mavix_education_activate_plugin' AJAX action until an official patch is released. 3. Monitor plugin activation logs and audit trails to detect unauthorized activations promptly. 4. Disable or remove the Creativ Demo Importer plugin if it is not required, reducing the attack surface. 5. Apply web application firewalls (WAF) rules to block unauthorized AJAX requests targeting this action. 6. Stay updated with creativthemes announcements and apply official patches as soon as they become available. 7. Educate site administrators and users about the risks of privilege escalation and enforce strong authentication and access controls. 8. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on user privilege misuse and plugin management.