The DASHBOARD BUILDER WordPress plugin (versions up to and including 1.5.7) suffers from a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-14615. The root cause is the absence of nonce validation in the settings handler within dashboardbuilder-admin.php, which is responsible for processing configuration changes. This security oversight allows an attacker to craft a malicious request that, when executed by an authenticated administrator (via clicking a link or visiting a malicious page), modifies the plugin's stored SQL query and database credentials. The plugin uses these stored queries to generate charts and graphs on the front-end through the [show-dashboardbuilder] shortcode. By altering the SQL query, the attacker can inject arbitrary SQL commands, potentially extracting sensitive data from the database and displaying it publicly within the chart output. The vulnerability requires no authentication from the attacker but does require user interaction from an administrator, making it a significant risk especially on sites with high-privilege users. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.1 (high), reflecting the ease of exploitation (network vector, no privileges required, user interaction needed) and the high confidentiality impact due to data exposure. No patches or exploits are currently publicly known, but the vulnerability's nature suggests it could be leveraged for data theft or further compromise if weaponized.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data stored in WordPress databases, including potentially personal data protected under GDPR. The ability to modify SQL queries and database credentials could also allow attackers to pivot to further attacks, such as privilege escalation or persistent backdoors. Organizations relying on the DASHBOARD BUILDER plugin for business intelligence or reporting risk exposure of confidential business metrics or customer information. The public nature of the data exfiltration via chart outputs increases the risk of data leakage without detection. This could result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruption. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe and the popularity of dashboard plugins, the threat surface is significant. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could target government, healthcare, financial, and e-commerce sectors where data confidentiality is paramount.

Immediate mitigation steps include disabling the DASHBOARD BUILDER plugin until a security patch is released. Administrators should avoid clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites while logged into WordPress admin panels. Implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block CSRF attempts targeting the plugin’s settings handler can reduce risk. Site owners should enforce strict Content Security Policies (CSP) and use browser security features to limit cross-site requests. Monitoring logs for unusual changes to plugin settings or database queries can help detect exploitation attempts. Once available, promptly apply vendor patches or updates that add nonce validation and fix the CSRF flaw. Additionally, restricting administrative access by IP or using multi-factor authentication (MFA) can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. Regular backups and database integrity checks will aid recovery if compromise occurs.