CVE-2025-49952 is an authorization bypass vulnerability identified in the favethemes Houzez WordPress theme, specifically affecting versions up to and including 4.1.1. The vulnerability stems from incorrectly configured access control mechanisms that rely on a user-controlled key, which attackers can manipulate to bypass authorization checks. This flaw allows users with limited privileges (PR:L) to escalate their access rights without requiring any user interaction (UI:N). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability by potentially exposing or allowing modification of sensitive data and disrupting normal operations. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 reflects a medium severity level, with network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), and unchanged scope (S:U). Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability poses a risk to websites using the Houzez theme, commonly deployed in real estate and property management sectors. The root cause is the failure to properly validate or restrict user input controlling authorization keys, leading to incorrect access control enforcement. This can enable attackers to perform unauthorized actions such as viewing or modifying data they should not access. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in October 2025, with no patches currently linked, indicating the need for vendor response and user vigilance.

For European organizations, especially those operating real estate or property listing websites using the Houzez theme, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or modification, potentially exposing sensitive client information such as personal details, property listings, and transaction data. This could result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and financial losses. The medium severity suggests that while the vulnerability is exploitable remotely and without user interaction, it requires some level of authenticated access, limiting the attack surface to users with existing accounts. However, once exploited, attackers could escalate privileges and compromise the integrity and availability of the website. This could disrupt business operations and erode customer trust. Given the widespread use of WordPress and the popularity of the Houzez theme in European real estate markets, the impact could be significant if not addressed promptly.

1. Monitor the vendor’s official channels for patches addressing CVE-2025-49952 and apply them immediately upon release. 2. In the interim, review and harden access control configurations within the Houzez theme settings, ensuring that user-controlled keys or parameters are validated and sanitized. 3. Restrict user privileges to the minimum necessary, limiting the number of users with elevated access rights. 4. Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests attempting to manipulate authorization keys. 5. Conduct thorough security audits and penetration testing focusing on access control mechanisms in the Houzez theme. 6. Educate administrators and developers about secure coding practices related to authorization and input validation. 7. Regularly back up website data and configurations to enable rapid recovery in case of compromise. 8. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.