CVE-2025-14903 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Simple Crypto Shortcodes WordPress plugin developed by stefanristic, affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.2. The root cause is the absence of nonce validation in the scs_backend function, which is responsible for handling backend plugin operations. Nonce tokens are security mechanisms used in WordPress to verify that requests originate from legitimate users and not from forged sources. Without this validation, attackers can craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator (typically via clicking a malicious link), cause unauthorized changes to plugin settings. This vulnerability does not require the attacker to be authenticated but does require the victim to have administrative privileges and to perform an action (user interaction). The impact is limited to integrity, as attackers can alter plugin configurations but cannot directly access confidential data or disrupt availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.3 reflects these factors: network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, unchanged scope, no confidentiality or availability impact, and low integrity impact. No public exploits have been reported to date. The vulnerability was reserved in December 2025 and published in January 2026. Given the plugin’s niche use in cryptocurrency-related shortcode functionalities, the attack surface is somewhat specialized but still relevant for WordPress sites leveraging this plugin. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix may not yet be available, emphasizing the need for interim mitigations.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability lies in the potential unauthorized modification of plugin settings on WordPress sites using Simple Crypto Shortcodes. This could lead to misconfigurations that might weaken site security, alter displayed cryptocurrency data, or disrupt intended plugin functionality, potentially undermining user trust and site integrity. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, altered settings could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks or misinformation. Organizations involved in cryptocurrency, blockchain, or financial services that use this plugin are at higher risk, as attackers may seek to manipulate displayed financial information or transaction-related content. The requirement for administrator interaction limits the attack scope but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where administrators may be targeted via phishing or social engineering. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation. Overall, the vulnerability could facilitate targeted attacks against European entities with WordPress sites running this plugin, potentially affecting reputation and operational integrity.

1. Monitor the plugin’s official repository and vendor communications for an official patch and apply it promptly once available. 2. If no patch is currently available, consider temporarily disabling the Simple Crypto Shortcodes plugin to eliminate the attack vector. 3. Implement manual nonce validation in the scs_backend function if feasible, by adding WordPress nonce checks to verify request authenticity. 4. Restrict administrator access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts. 5. Educate administrators about the risks of phishing and social engineering attacks, emphasizing caution when clicking on unsolicited links. 6. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting plugin endpoints. 7. Regularly audit WordPress site configurations and plugin settings for unauthorized changes. 8. Maintain comprehensive backups of site data and configurations to enable recovery in case of compromise.