CVE-2025-12040 is an authorization bypass vulnerability classified under CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key) found in the Wishlist for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.9, specifically within multiple functions in the class-th-wishlist-frontend.php file. The root cause is the lack of proper validation on a user-controlled key parameter, which leads to an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR). This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to manipulate the wishlist data of other users by crafting requests that specify arbitrary keys, bypassing authorization checks. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting a medium severity level, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts on confidentiality and integrity but not availability. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of user data stored in wishlists. The plugin is widely used in WooCommerce-powered e-commerce sites, which are common in European markets. The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data manipulation, potentially undermining customer trust and violating data protection regulations if personal data is involved.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modification of customer wishlist data, impacting data confidentiality and integrity. While it does not affect system availability, the ability for unauthenticated attackers to alter user-specific data can result in loss of customer trust and potential reputational damage. Additionally, if wishlists contain personal or sensitive information, this could raise compliance issues under GDPR. E-commerce businesses relying on WooCommerce and the affected plugin may face increased risk of targeted attacks aiming to disrupt customer experience or manipulate data for fraudulent purposes. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain to gain further access or conduct social engineering attacks. The absence of required authentication lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat level for organizations with exposed WooCommerce installations.

1. Immediately monitor for updates from the plugin vendor (themehunk) and apply patches as soon as they are released. 2. Until a patch is available, implement server-side validation to strictly verify that any user-controlled keys correspond to the authenticated user's data, rejecting unauthorized requests. 3. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting wishlist modification endpoints. 4. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on authorization controls within WooCommerce plugins. 5. Educate development and operations teams on secure coding practices, particularly regarding authorization and input validation. 6. Limit exposure by restricting access to wishlist modification APIs to authenticated users only, if feasible. 7. Monitor logs for unusual activity related to wishlist modifications to detect potential exploitation attempts early. 8. Consider isolating or disabling the wishlist feature temporarily if it is not critical to business operations until the vulnerability is resolved.