CVE-2025-15525 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) affecting the WordPress plugin Ajax Load More – Infinite Scroll, Load More, & Lazy Load, developed by dcooney. The flaw exists in the parse_custom_args() function, which improperly authorizes requests, allowing unauthenticated attackers to retrieve sensitive post metadata such as titles and excerpts for posts that are private, drafts, pending, scheduled, or trashed. This unauthorized data disclosure occurs because the plugin fails to enforce proper permission checks before serving this content. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 7.8.1. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires no privileges or user interaction, and impacts confidentiality only, without affecting integrity or availability. Although no public exploits have been reported, the exposure of non-public post information could lead to information leakage, potentially aiding further targeted attacks or reconnaissance. The vulnerability is particularly relevant for websites relying on this plugin to manage dynamic content loading, especially those with sensitive unpublished content. The lack of a patch link indicates that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for interim mitigations.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-15525 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive content metadata, which compromises confidentiality. Organizations using the affected plugin risk exposing unpublished or private post information, which could reveal business plans, unpublished articles, or sensitive editorial content. This information leakage can facilitate social engineering, competitive intelligence gathering, or targeted attacks against the website or its users. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the exposure of draft and private content undermines trust and may violate privacy policies or regulatory requirements concerning data protection. The ease of exploitation—requiring no authentication or user interaction—means that attackers can automate reconnaissance at scale, potentially affecting many sites globally. The scope is limited to WordPress sites using this specific plugin, but given WordPress's large market share in CMS platforms, the number of affected sites could be significant.

Until an official patch is released, organizations should implement the following mitigations: 1) Restrict access to the Ajax Load More plugin endpoints by IP whitelisting or web application firewall (WAF) rules to block unauthorized requests targeting parse_custom_args(). 2) Disable or remove the Ajax Load More plugin if dynamic content loading is not essential, or replace it with a secure alternative. 3) Harden WordPress user roles and permissions to minimize exposure of sensitive content through other vectors. 4) Monitor web server logs for unusual access patterns to the plugin’s AJAX endpoints indicative of exploitation attempts. 5) Keep WordPress core and all plugins updated and subscribe to security advisories from the plugin developer and WordPress security teams. 6) Once a patch is available, apply it promptly and verify that authorization checks are properly enforced. 7) Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on content exposure vulnerabilities.