CVE-2025-14465 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the Sticky Action Buttons WordPress plugin developed by praveentamil. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.1 due to missing or incorrect nonce validation in the sabs_options_page_form_submit() function. Nonces in WordPress are security tokens used to verify that requests originate from legitimate users and not from forged sources. The absence or improper implementation of nonce validation allows an attacker to craft a malicious request that, when executed by an authenticated site administrator (e.g., by clicking a specially crafted link), can alter the plugin’s settings without the administrator’s consent. Since the attacker does not require authentication themselves, the attack vector relies solely on social engineering to induce the administrator to perform the action. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the plugin’s configuration but does not affect confidentiality or availability directly. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 reflects a network attack vector with low complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. No patches or updates have been linked yet, and no known exploits are reported in the wild. This vulnerability could be leveraged as a stepping stone for further attacks if attackers manipulate plugin settings to weaken site security or functionality.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-14465 primarily concerns the integrity of WordPress site configurations where the Sticky Action Buttons plugin is installed. Unauthorized changes to plugin settings could lead to degraded site functionality, exposure to further vulnerabilities, or misconfiguration that facilitates additional attacks such as privilege escalation or data manipulation. Organizations relying on WordPress for customer-facing websites, internal portals, or e-commerce platforms may face operational disruptions or reputational damage if attackers exploit this vulnerability. Although the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or availability, the indirect effects of altered plugin behavior could impact business continuity and trust. The requirement for administrator interaction reduces the likelihood of widespread automated exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with less security awareness or where phishing attacks are prevalent. Given WordPress’s popularity in Europe, especially among small and medium enterprises, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk that should be addressed promptly.

To mitigate CVE-2025-14465, organizations should first verify if the Sticky Action Buttons plugin is installed and identify the version in use. Since no official patch links are currently available, administrators should consider the following specific actions: 1) Temporarily disable or uninstall the plugin if it is not critical to operations. 2) Restrict administrative access to trusted personnel and enforce strict user awareness training to prevent clicking on suspicious links. 3) Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting the plugin’s settings endpoint. 4) Monitor WordPress logs for unusual configuration changes or access patterns. 5) Follow closely for official patches or updates from the plugin developer and apply them immediately upon release. 6) Consider adding custom nonce validation or additional CSRF protections via security plugins or custom code if feasible. 7) Regularly back up WordPress configurations to enable quick restoration if unauthorized changes occur. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate risk reduction and detection tailored to this specific plugin vulnerability.