The SiteSEO – SEO Simplified plugin for WordPress, developed by softaculous, contains an authorization bypass vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-12367. This vulnerability arises from improper authorization checks (CWE-285) in versions up to and including 1.3.1, where the plugin fails to verify that a user has the necessary permissions before allowing changes to SiteSEO features. Specifically, users with Author-level access or higher can exploit this flaw to enable or disable arbitrary plugin features that should be restricted. Since WordPress roles like Author typically have limited capabilities compared to Administrators, this vulnerability elevates the risk by allowing mid-level users to perform unauthorized configuration changes. The vulnerability does not expose confidential data or cause denial of service but compromises the integrity of plugin settings, potentially affecting SEO configurations and site behavior. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges at the Author level, no user interaction, and impact limited to integrity. No public exploits have been reported yet, and no patches are currently available. The vulnerability was published on November 1, 2025, with the CVE reserved a few days earlier. The plugin is widely used among WordPress sites aiming to simplify SEO management, making this vulnerability relevant to many web administrators.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-12367 lies in the potential unauthorized modification of SEO-related settings on WordPress sites using the vulnerable SiteSEO plugin. Such unauthorized changes can degrade website search engine rankings, disrupt marketing efforts, or introduce malicious redirects or content modifications if attackers manipulate plugin features. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause service outages, the integrity compromise can indirectly affect business reputation, web traffic, and revenue streams dependent on online presence. Organizations with multiple content authors or editors who have Author-level access are at higher risk since these users can exploit the vulnerability without escalating privileges. The risk is particularly relevant for companies relying heavily on WordPress for their public-facing websites, digital marketing agencies, and e-commerce platforms. Given the medium severity and lack of known exploits, the immediate threat is moderate but could increase if exploit code becomes available. European entities must consider the potential SEO and operational impacts alongside standard security hygiene.

1. Monitor for official patches or updates from softaculous and apply them promptly once available to ensure proper authorization checks are enforced. 2. Until a patch is released, restrict or review user roles in WordPress, minimizing the number of users with Author-level or higher privileges to trusted personnel only. 3. Implement strict role-based access control (RBAC) policies and audit user permissions regularly to detect any unauthorized privilege assignments. 4. Use WordPress security plugins that can monitor and alert on changes to plugin settings or unusual user activity related to SiteSEO features. 5. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the SiteSEO plugin endpoints. 6. Conduct regular security awareness training for content authors and editors to recognize and report suspicious behavior. 7. Maintain comprehensive backups of website configurations and content to enable quick restoration if unauthorized changes occur. 8. Review and harden WordPress installation security, including limiting plugin installations to trusted sources and disabling unnecessary features.