The WP AUDIO GALLERY plugin for WordPress, maintained by husainali52, contains a critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-13603, classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization). This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 2.0. The root cause is the lack of proper authorization checks and nonce verification in the wpag_htaccess_callback function. This function can be triggered by authenticated users with subscriber-level privileges or higher, allowing them to overwrite the .htaccess file of the WordPress site with arbitrary content. The .htaccess file controls server behavior, including URL rewriting and access restrictions. By modifying this file, attackers can enable arbitrary file read capabilities on the server, potentially exposing sensitive files and data. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require authentication at a low privilege level, making it easier to exploit within compromised or poorly managed WordPress environments. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, combined with low attack complexity and no user interaction needed. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the widespread use of WordPress and the plugin. The absence of a patch at the time of reporting increases the urgency for mitigation measures. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, disrupt website availability, or further escalate privileges by manipulating server configurations.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to severe consequences including unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, defacement or disruption of websites, and potential lateral movement within the network if attackers leverage the arbitrary file read capability to gather credentials or configuration details. Organizations relying on WordPress for public-facing websites, intranets, or e-commerce platforms are particularly at risk. The ability for low-privileged users to modify .htaccess files undermines the security model of WordPress and can facilitate further attacks such as webshell deployment or redirecting traffic to malicious sites. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to regulatory non-compliance (especially under GDPR), and cause operational downtime. Given the high CVSS score and the critical nature of the .htaccess file, the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is substantial. European sectors with high reliance on WordPress, including media, education, and small to medium enterprises, may face increased exposure. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact but also means organizations may be unaware of the risk until exploited.

1. Immediately restrict subscriber-level and above user permissions to trusted individuals only, minimizing the risk of exploitation by low-privileged users. 2. Monitor and audit changes to the .htaccess file regularly using file integrity monitoring tools to detect unauthorized modifications promptly. 3. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the wpag_htaccess_callback function or unusual POST requests related to the plugin. 4. Isolate WordPress installations in segmented network zones to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 5. Disable or remove the WP AUDIO GALLERY plugin if it is not essential, or replace it with a more secure alternative. 6. Apply principle of least privilege for WordPress roles and capabilities, ensuring subscribers cannot perform actions beyond their intended scope. 7. Keep WordPress core and all plugins updated and subscribe to security advisories for timely patch application once available. 8. Use nonce verification and capability checks in custom plugins or themes to prevent similar authorization bypass issues. 9. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on WordPress environments to identify and remediate vulnerabilities proactively.