CVE-2025-14061 is a vulnerability identified in the WP Cookie Consent plugin for WordPress, which is widely used to manage cookie banners, consent logs, and compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and ePrivacy regulations. The core issue lies in the gdpr_delete_policy_data function, which lacks proper authorization checks (CWE-862: Missing Authorization). This flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to invoke this function and delete arbitrary WordPress posts, pages, attachments, or other post types by specifying their IDs. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 4.0.7 of the plugin. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts integrity (I:L) but not confidentiality or availability. Exploitation could lead to permanent loss of website content, potentially disrupting business operations and damaging reputation. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability has been publicly disclosed. The plugin’s role in GDPR and privacy compliance makes this vulnerability particularly sensitive for organizations subject to European data protection laws. Attackers could leverage this flaw to delete critical compliance records or website content, undermining trust and regulatory adherence.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-14061 can be significant despite its medium severity rating. Unauthorized deletion of posts, pages, and attachments can lead to loss of critical website content, including legal notices, privacy policies, and consent records required for GDPR compliance. This can result in regulatory non-compliance, potential fines, and reputational damage. E-commerce sites, government portals, and service providers relying on WordPress with this plugin are particularly vulnerable to operational disruption. The lack of authentication requirement means attackers can exploit this remotely without credentials, increasing risk. While availability is not directly affected, the integrity loss can indirectly cause downtime or degraded user trust. The vulnerability also raises concerns about data governance and auditability, as deleted consent logs may hinder incident investigations or compliance audits. Organizations may face increased costs for content restoration and incident response. Given the plugin’s focus on privacy compliance, this vulnerability undermines the very protections it is intended to enforce.

1. Monitor the WP Cookie Consent plugin vendor’s announcements closely and apply official patches immediately once released. 2. Until a patch is available, implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized requests targeting the gdpr_delete_policy_data function or suspicious POST requests that attempt to delete content. 3. Restrict access to WordPress admin endpoints and plugin-specific AJAX handlers by IP whitelisting or authentication enforcement where feasible. 4. Conduct a thorough audit of existing posts, pages, and attachments to establish backups and enable rapid restoration if deletion occurs. 5. Employ WordPress security plugins that can detect and alert on unauthorized content deletions or suspicious activity. 6. Review and harden user roles and permissions within WordPress to minimize exposure. 7. Consider temporarily disabling the vulnerable plugin if it is not critical to operations until a fix is available. 8. Educate site administrators about monitoring logs for unusual deletion requests and maintaining offline backups of critical content. 9. Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) to detect anomalous HTTP requests targeting the plugin’s endpoints. 10. Engage with cybersecurity professionals to perform penetration testing focused on this vulnerability to assess exposure.