CVE-2025-14029 identifies a missing authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in the Community Events plugin for WordPress, developed by jackdewey. The vulnerability exists in the ajax_admin_event_approval() function, which lacks proper capability checks to verify if the requester has the necessary permissions to approve events. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to send crafted AJAX requests with the 'eventlist' parameter to approve arbitrary events without any authentication or user interaction. The affected versions include all releases up to and including version 1.5.6. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of event data by permitting unauthorized modifications, potentially misleading users or disrupting event management workflows. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), with attack vector network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality impact (C:N), low integrity impact (I:L), and no availability impact (A:N). No patches or known exploits are currently reported, but the vulnerability's nature makes it relatively easy to exploit remotely. The flaw is significant for websites relying on this plugin for event management, as it undermines trust and data integrity.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of event-related data on WordPress sites using the Community Events plugin. Unauthorized approval of events could lead to misinformation, reputational damage, or disruption of community engagement activities. Organizations that rely on accurate event listings for public communication, marketing, or operational coordination may face challenges if attackers manipulate event approvals. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect confidentiality or availability, the integrity compromise can indirectly impact user trust and organizational credibility. Public sector entities, cultural institutions, and event organizers in Europe using this plugin are particularly vulnerable. The ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk of automated or opportunistic attacks. However, the absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact. Nonetheless, proactive mitigation is essential to prevent potential abuse.

1. Monitor for and apply official patches or updates from the plugin vendor as soon as they become available. 2. In the absence of patches, restrict access to the ajax_admin_event_approval() AJAX endpoint by limiting it to authenticated users with appropriate permissions via server-side access controls or WordPress hooks. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block unauthorized AJAX requests containing suspicious 'eventlist' parameters targeting this function. 4. Regularly audit event approval logs and monitor for unusual or unauthorized event approvals to detect potential exploitation attempts. 5. Consider temporarily disabling the Community Events plugin if it is not critical or if mitigation is not feasible until a patch is released. 6. Educate site administrators about the vulnerability and encourage strong administrative credential management and multi-factor authentication to reduce risk from other attack vectors. 7. Employ security plugins that can enforce capability checks or restrict AJAX actions to authorized roles. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control hardening, monitoring, and proactive defense tailored to this specific vulnerability.