CVE-2025-12355 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) found in the Payaza plugin for WordPress, developed by bigmaster. This plugin, used for managing e-commerce order statuses, contains a critical security flaw in its AJAX endpoint 'wp_ajax_nopriv_update_order_status'. The endpoint lacks proper capability checks, allowing unauthenticated users to invoke it and update order statuses arbitrarily. Since the endpoint is accessible without authentication ('nopriv'), attackers can remotely modify order data without any credentials or user interaction. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 0.3.8 of Payaza. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.3 (medium), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and impact limited to integrity loss without affecting confidentiality or availability. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the flaw could be leveraged to manipulate order workflows, potentially causing financial discrepancies, fraudulent order fulfillment, or denial of service to legitimate orders. The lack of patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention from administrators. The vulnerability highlights a common security oversight in WordPress plugin development where AJAX endpoints are exposed without proper authorization checks, emphasizing the need for secure coding practices and thorough security testing.

For European organizations using the Payaza plugin on WordPress sites, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized modification of order statuses, undermining the integrity of e-commerce transactions. Attackers could mark orders as completed, canceled, or refunded without authorization, potentially causing financial losses, inventory mismanagement, and customer dissatisfaction. This manipulation could also facilitate fraud, such as triggering shipments without payment or blocking legitimate orders. While confidentiality and availability remain unaffected, the integrity compromise can damage business reputation and trust. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe and the popularity of e-commerce, organizations relying on Payaza for order management are at risk. The impact is particularly significant for small to medium enterprises that may lack robust monitoring or incident response capabilities. Additionally, regulatory compliance under GDPR may be indirectly affected if order data integrity issues lead to customer disputes or data processing errors.

1. Monitor official channels for patches or updates from bigmaster and apply them immediately once available. 2. Until patches are released, restrict access to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint by implementing web application firewall (WAF) rules that block unauthenticated requests to 'wp_ajax_nopriv_update_order_status'. 3. Employ custom code or plugins to enforce capability checks on AJAX endpoints, ensuring only authorized users can update order statuses. 4. Conduct regular audits of order status changes to detect anomalies or unauthorized modifications. 5. Harden WordPress installations by disabling unused AJAX endpoints and limiting plugin permissions. 6. Educate site administrators about the risks of exposing AJAX endpoints without authorization. 7. Consider isolating critical e-commerce functions behind additional authentication layers or network segmentation. 8. Maintain comprehensive logging and alerting to quickly identify exploitation attempts. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate protective controls and proactive monitoring tailored to this specific vulnerability.