CVE-2025-49288 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) affecting the Rustaurius Ultimate WP Mail plugin for WordPress, specifically versions up to 1.3.5. This vulnerability arises due to improperly configured access control mechanisms within the plugin, allowing users with limited privileges (requiring at least low-level privileges, as indicated by PR:L) to perform actions or access resources that should be restricted. The vulnerability does not require user interaction (UI:N) and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L). The impact primarily affects confidentiality (C:L), with no direct impact on integrity or availability. The plugin is used to manage mail functionality within WordPress sites, and missing authorization could allow unauthorized users to access or manipulate mail-related features or data, potentially exposing sensitive information such as email contents or configuration details. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's presence in a widely used WordPress plugin poses a risk if left unpatched. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix may not yet be available, emphasizing the need for vigilance and interim protective measures.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive email data managed through the Ultimate WP Mail plugin. Organizations relying on WordPress for their websites or internal portals that use this plugin may face confidentiality breaches, potentially exposing customer communications, internal notifications, or other sensitive information. This could result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (especially under GDPR, which mandates protection of personal data), and potential legal liabilities. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, the risk of data tampering or service disruption is low. However, the exposure of confidential information alone is significant, particularly for sectors handling sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, and government. The medium severity rating reflects a moderate risk that requires timely attention but is not immediately critical.

Given the absence of an official patch, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Restrict access to the WordPress admin and plugin management interfaces to trusted IP addresses or VPNs to reduce the attack surface. 2) Enforce strict user role and permission audits to ensure that only necessary users have privileges that could exploit this vulnerability. 3) Monitor web server and WordPress logs for unusual access patterns or attempts to access mail-related plugin endpoints. 4) Consider temporarily disabling or removing the Ultimate WP Mail plugin if it is not essential to operations until a patch is released. 5) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to block suspicious requests targeting the plugin’s functionality. 6) Keep WordPress core and all other plugins updated to minimize the risk of compound vulnerabilities. 7) Prepare incident response plans focusing on potential data exposure scenarios related to email content.