The Pagerank Tools plugin for WordPress, developed by mahype, suffers from a vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-12416, classified under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery). This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.1.5 due to the absence of nonce validation in the pr_save_settings() function and inadequate input sanitization. Nonce validation is a security mechanism used in WordPress to verify that requests originate from legitimate users and not from forged sources. The lack of this validation allows an attacker to craft a malicious request that, when executed by an authenticated site administrator (via clicking a link or visiting a crafted page), causes the plugin to store malicious JavaScript code persistently. This stored script executes whenever any user accesses the plugin’s settings page, effectively enabling stored XSS. The attack vector requires no prior authentication but does require user interaction (an admin clicking a link). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity by potentially allowing session hijacking, privilege escalation, or defacement, but does not affect availability. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.1 (medium), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and partial confidentiality and integrity impacts. No patches or known exploits are currently reported, but the risk remains significant for sites using this plugin without mitigation.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on WordPress sites with the mahype Pagerank Tools plugin installed. An attacker exploiting this flaw can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the context of site administrators, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized changes to site content or settings, and theft of sensitive information. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to data breaches, and disrupt business operations. Since the attack requires user interaction from an administrator, social engineering or phishing campaigns targeting European organizations could be used to facilitate exploitation. The vulnerability does not directly affect availability but compromises confidentiality and integrity, which are critical for compliance with GDPR and other European data protection regulations. Organizations with public-facing WordPress sites, especially in sectors like finance, government, and e-commerce, face higher risks due to the potential for targeted attacks leveraging this vulnerability.

1. Monitor mahype’s official channels for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 2. In the absence of an official patch, implement manual nonce validation in the pr_save_settings() function to ensure requests are legitimate. 3. Sanitize and validate all inputs rigorously to prevent injection of malicious scripts. 4. Restrict access to the plugin’s settings page to trusted administrators only and consider limiting administrative privileges to reduce attack surface. 5. Educate site administrators about phishing and social engineering risks to prevent them from clicking malicious links. 6. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block CSRF and XSS attack patterns targeting WordPress plugins. 7. Regularly audit WordPress plugins for security issues and remove or replace unsupported or vulnerable plugins. 8. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate the impact of injected scripts. 9. Maintain regular backups of WordPress sites to enable recovery in case of compromise.