CVE-2025-49988 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) found in the Renzo Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension, a plugin that integrates AWeber email marketing services with the popular WordPress Contact Form 7 plugin. This vulnerability arises due to improperly configured access control mechanisms, allowing unauthorized users to exploit functionality that should be restricted. Specifically, the extension fails to enforce proper authorization checks before allowing certain actions, which could lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of the extension's features. The affected versions include all versions up to 0.1.38, with no specific version exclusions noted. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L) reveals that the vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without any privileges or user interaction required. The impact is limited to availability, meaning the attacker could potentially disrupt the normal functioning of the extension or cause denial of service conditions, but there is no direct impact on confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been released yet. The vulnerability was published on June 20, 2025, and was reserved on June 11, 2025. The root cause is an incorrect or missing authorization check, which is a common security flaw that can lead to unauthorized actions within web applications or plugins. Given the nature of the plugin, which is widely used in WordPress environments for managing contact forms and email marketing integrations, exploitation could disrupt communication workflows or cause service interruptions for websites relying on this extension.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability primarily involves potential disruption of web-based communication channels that utilize the Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension. Organizations relying on this plugin for customer engagement, lead generation, or marketing automation could experience denial of service or degraded availability of their contact forms, potentially leading to loss of business opportunities or customer dissatisfaction. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact could affect operational continuity, especially for SMEs and e-commerce platforms that depend heavily on uninterrupted customer interaction. Additionally, if attackers leverage this vulnerability as part of a broader attack chain, it could serve as a foothold for further exploitation, although this is not indicated by the current technical details. The absence of required privileges or user interaction for exploitation increases the risk profile, as attackers can remotely target vulnerable sites without authentication. Given the widespread use of WordPress and its plugins across Europe, organizations with limited cybersecurity resources or outdated plugin management practices are particularly at risk.

1. Immediate monitoring and auditing of web server logs for unusual or unauthorized access attempts targeting the Contact Form 7 AWeber Extension endpoints. 2. Restrict access to the plugin’s administrative and API endpoints via web application firewall (WAF) rules or IP whitelisting where feasible, to limit exposure to unauthorized users. 3. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) within WordPress to minimize the number of users with permissions to manage or configure the plugin. 4. Regularly update all WordPress plugins and monitor vendor communications for security patches or advisories related to this vulnerability. 5. Employ security plugins that can detect and block exploitation attempts targeting missing authorization vulnerabilities. 6. Conduct penetration testing focused on access control mechanisms of critical plugins to identify similar misconfigurations proactively. 7. For organizations using the AWeber integration extensively, consider temporary disabling the extension or replacing it with alternative, more secure solutions until a patch is available. 8. Educate site administrators about the risks of missing authorization vulnerabilities and the importance of timely updates and configuration reviews.