CVE-2025-14853 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the LEAV Last Email Address Validator plugin for WordPress, specifically in versions up to and including 1.7.1. The vulnerability stems from the absence or improper implementation of nonce validation in the plugin's display_settings_page function. Nonces in WordPress are security tokens used to verify that requests to change settings originate from legitimate users and not from malicious third-party sites. Without proper nonce validation, an attacker can craft a malicious web request that, when executed by an authenticated administrator (e.g., by clicking a link), causes unauthorized changes to the plugin's settings. This attack vector requires no prior authentication by the attacker but does require user interaction from a privileged user, such as an administrator. The impact of this vulnerability is primarily on the integrity of the plugin's configuration, which could lead to misconfiguration, potentially weakening email validation controls or enabling further attacks. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting the limited impact on confidentiality and availability, the lack of required privileges, but the necessity of user interaction. No public exploits have been reported, and no patches are currently linked, indicating that mitigation may rely on manual intervention or vendor updates. The vulnerability is cataloged under CWE-352, a common web security weakness related to CSRF attacks.

For European organizations, the primary risk is unauthorized modification of plugin settings on WordPress sites using the LEAV Last Email Address Validator plugin. This could lead to weakened email validation, potentially allowing malicious or malformed email addresses to bypass validation checks, which might facilitate spam, phishing, or account takeover attempts. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, altered settings could degrade the security posture of affected websites. Organizations relying on WordPress for customer-facing or internal applications could see reputational damage or increased risk of downstream attacks if attackers exploit this vulnerability. Given the widespread use of WordPress across Europe, especially among SMEs and digital service providers, the vulnerability could have a broad impact if left unmitigated. The requirement for administrator interaction limits mass exploitation but does not eliminate targeted attacks, especially via phishing or social engineering campaigns.

1. Monitor for and apply official patches or updates from the plugin vendor as soon as they become available. 2. In the absence of a patch, implement manual nonce validation in the plugin code by adding proper WordPress nonce checks to the display_settings_page function to ensure requests are legitimate. 3. Restrict administrative access to trusted networks or VPNs to reduce exposure to CSRF attacks. 4. Educate WordPress administrators about the risks of clicking unsolicited links, especially those that could trigger configuration changes. 5. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious CSRF attempts targeting WordPress admin pages. 6. Regularly audit plugin configurations and logs for unauthorized changes. 7. Consider disabling or replacing the LEAV Last Email Address Validator plugin if it is not critical or if no timely patch is available.