CVE-2025-3953 is a vulnerability identified in the WP Statistics plugin by veronalabs, a widely used privacy-friendly analytics plugin for WordPress. The flaw is categorized under CWE-862, which indicates a missing authorization check. Specifically, the vulnerability exists in the 'optionUpdater' function, which lacks proper capability verification. This omission allows any authenticated user with at least Subscriber-level privileges to modify arbitrary plugin settings. Since WordPress Subscriber roles are typically assigned to users with minimal permissions, this vulnerability significantly lowers the bar for exploitation. The attacker does not need elevated privileges such as Editor or Administrator, nor is user interaction beyond authentication required. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and limited impact on confidentiality and integrity, with no impact on availability. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 14.13.3 of the plugin. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation and the widespread use of this plugin in WordPress sites make it a notable risk. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix might not yet be publicly available or is pending release. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could alter analytics data, potentially skewing website traffic reports, or modify plugin configurations to facilitate further attacks or data leakage. Given the plugin’s role in privacy-friendly analytics, unauthorized changes could undermine data integrity and trustworthiness of collected metrics.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of website analytics data, which can affect decision-making processes based on visitor statistics. Unauthorized modification of plugin settings could also be leveraged to introduce malicious configurations or backdoors, potentially leading to broader compromise of WordPress sites. Since many European companies and public sector entities rely on WordPress for their web presence, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and non-profits that prioritize privacy-friendly tools, the impact could be significant. Additionally, altered analytics data might affect compliance with GDPR if it results in inaccurate reporting or mishandling of user data. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise availability or confidentiality at a high level, the integrity impact and potential for privilege escalation or pivoting to other attacks should not be underestimated. The medium CVSS score reflects these factors, but organizations should consider the broader operational and reputational risks, especially in sectors where accurate data analytics are critical.

1. Immediate mitigation involves restricting Subscriber-level users from accessing or triggering the 'optionUpdater' function. This can be achieved by implementing custom capability checks via WordPress hooks or filters to enforce stricter authorization on plugin settings updates. 2. Monitor and audit user activities related to the WP Statistics plugin settings to detect unauthorized changes promptly. 3. Limit the number of users assigned Subscriber or higher roles, especially on sites with multiple contributors, to reduce the attack surface. 4. Employ a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules designed to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the plugin’s settings endpoints. 5. Regularly review and update WordPress plugins and core to the latest versions once a patch is released for this vulnerability. 6. Consider temporarily disabling the WP Statistics plugin if analytics data integrity is critical and no patch is available. 7. Educate site administrators about the risks of granting unnecessary privileges and encourage the principle of least privilege. 8. Implement logging and alerting mechanisms for configuration changes within WordPress to enable rapid incident response.