CVE-2025-11497 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Advanced Database Cleaner WordPress plugin developed by symptote, affecting all versions up to and including 3.1.6. The root cause is improper input validation (CWE-20) due to missing or incorrect nonce validation in the aDBc_prepare_elements_to_clean() function. Nonces in WordPress are security tokens designed to prevent CSRF by ensuring that requests originate from legitimate users. The absence or incorrect implementation of nonce validation allows an attacker to craft a malicious request that, if executed by an authenticated administrator (via social engineering like clicking a link), can alter the 'keep last' setting of the plugin. This setting controls how many database entries or elements are retained, potentially impacting database cleanup behavior. The vulnerability does not expose confidential data or cause denial of service but compromises the integrity of plugin configuration. The attack vector is network-based, requires no privileges, but does require user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting low complexity and limited impact scope. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability is published and known. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments for database maintenance, making this a relevant threat for websites relying on this plugin for database optimization and cleanup.

For European organizations, the primary impact is the potential unauthorized alteration of database cleanup settings, which could lead to unintended retention or deletion of database entries. This may degrade website performance or cause data management inconsistencies, indirectly affecting business operations or user experience. While confidentiality and availability are not directly impacted, integrity of site configuration is compromised, which could be leveraged in multi-stage attacks or combined with other vulnerabilities. Organizations with WordPress-based websites using this plugin, especially those with administrators susceptible to phishing or social engineering, are at risk. The impact is more pronounced for SMEs and digital service providers that rely heavily on WordPress plugins for site maintenance. Additionally, altered cleanup settings might increase exposure to data bloat or residual data, potentially complicating compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR if data retention policies are inadvertently violated.

1. Monitor for and apply official patches or updates from symptote as soon as they become available to address nonce validation issues. 2. In the absence of patches, implement manual nonce validation in the plugin code by adding proper wp_nonce_check calls in the aDBc_prepare_elements_to_clean() function to ensure requests are legitimate. 3. Restrict administrative access to trusted networks or via VPN to reduce exposure to CSRF attacks. 4. Educate site administrators about phishing and social engineering risks, emphasizing caution when clicking links or performing actions from untrusted sources. 5. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious CSRF attempts targeting the plugin’s endpoints. 6. Regularly audit plugin configurations and database cleanup settings to detect unauthorized changes promptly. 7. Consider disabling or replacing the plugin with alternatives that have verified security controls if immediate patching is not feasible. 8. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to reduce the risk of malicious script execution that could facilitate CSRF.