CVE-2025-11244 is a security vulnerability classified under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) affecting the WordPress plugin 'Password Protected — Lock Entire Site, Pages, Posts, Categories, and Partial Content' by saadiqbal. The vulnerability exists in all plugin versions up to and including 2.7.11. The root cause is that the plugin’s function `pp_get_ip_address()` relies on client-supplied HTTP headers such as X-Forwarded-For and HTTP_CLIENT_IP to determine the user’s IP address when the 'Use transients' feature is enabled. This feature is not enabled by default. Because these headers can be spoofed by an attacker, the plugin may incorrectly identify an attacker’s IP as that of an authorized user, thereby bypassing the password protection mechanism. The vulnerability requires that the website is not protected by a CDN or reverse proxy that sanitizes or overwrites these headers, as such infrastructure would prevent spoofing. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 3.7 (low), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires no privileges or user interaction, but has high attack complexity due to the need for specific configuration and environmental conditions. The impact is limited to unauthorized access bypassing the password protection, without further compromise of confidentiality, integrity, or availability. No public exploits have been reported, and no patches or updates are currently linked, so mitigation relies on configuration changes and network controls.

For European organizations, the primary impact is unauthorized access to content that is intended to be protected by the Password Protected plugin. This could lead to exposure of sensitive or internal information if the plugin is used to restrict access to confidential pages or posts. However, the impact is limited because the vulnerability does not allow for code execution, data modification, or denial of service. The risk is higher for organizations that use the 'Use transients' feature and do not deploy their WordPress sites behind CDNs or reverse proxies that sanitize IP-related headers. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe, especially among small and medium enterprises, websites relying on this plugin for access control could be at risk of unauthorized content exposure. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate threat but should not lead to complacency. Organizations in sectors with strict data protection requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and government, should be particularly cautious to prevent unauthorized data disclosure.

European organizations should first verify if the 'Use transients' feature is enabled in their Password Protected plugin configuration and disable it if not strictly necessary. If the feature must remain enabled, organizations should ensure that their WordPress sites are deployed behind a CDN or reverse proxy that overwrites or sanitizes client-supplied IP headers such as X-Forwarded-For and HTTP_CLIENT_IP to prevent spoofing. Additionally, web application firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block suspicious header spoofing attempts. Monitoring access logs for unusual IP address patterns or repeated access attempts with spoofed headers can help detect exploitation attempts. Organizations should also track updates from the plugin vendor for patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. Finally, consider implementing multi-factor authentication or alternative access control mechanisms to reduce reliance on IP-based authorization checks.