CVE-2025-14168 is a security vulnerability classified as CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) found in the WP DB Booster plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.1. The root cause is the absence of nonce validation on the cleanup_all AJAX action, which is a mechanism designed to prevent unauthorized commands from being executed. Without this protection, an attacker can craft a malicious request that, when an authenticated site administrator interacts with it (e.g., by clicking a link), triggers the deletion of critical database records such as post drafts, revisions, comments, and metadata. This attack vector does not require the attacker to be authenticated but does require user interaction from a privileged user, making it a targeted but feasible threat. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the WordPress site's data by allowing unauthorized deletion but does not affect confidentiality or availability directly. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting a medium severity level, with the attack vector being network-based, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. No patches or official fixes are currently listed, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on WP DB Booster for database optimization and cleanup, as it could lead to data loss and disruption of content management workflows.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could result in unauthorized deletion of important WordPress database content, including drafts, revisions, comments, and metadata, potentially disrupting content management and editorial workflows. This can lead to loss of critical data, increased recovery time, and operational downtime for websites relying on WP DB Booster. While it does not directly compromise confidentiality or availability, the integrity loss can affect trustworthiness of published content and user engagement. Organizations with high reliance on WordPress for public-facing websites, e-commerce, or internal portals could face reputational damage and operational setbacks. The requirement for administrator interaction means social engineering could be used to exploit this vulnerability, increasing the risk in environments where administrators are less security-aware. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe, especially in small and medium enterprises and public sector websites, the impact could be significant if exploited at scale.

1. Immediately update the WP DB Booster plugin to a patched version once available from the vendor. 2. Until a patch is released, disable or remove the WP DB Booster plugin to eliminate the attack surface. 3. Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the ability of attackers to execute malicious scripts or forge requests. 4. Educate WordPress administrators about the risks of clicking on untrusted links, especially those received via email or messaging platforms. 5. Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious AJAX requests targeting the cleanup_all action. 6. Regularly back up WordPress databases and test restoration procedures to minimize data loss impact. 7. Monitor logs for unusual AJAX activity or unexpected database cleanup actions. 8. Consider deploying multi-factor authentication (MFA) for WordPress admin accounts to reduce risk from compromised credentials, even though this vulnerability does not require authentication.