CVE-2025-49996 is a security vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) affecting the WordPress plugin WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) developed by osama.esh. This vulnerability arises due to insufficient access control mechanisms, allowing unauthorized users to access certain plugin functionalities that should be restricted by Access Control Lists (ACLs). Specifically, the flaw permits unauthenticated remote attackers to invoke functions or access data within the plugin without proper authorization checks. The affected versions include all versions up to 7.8, with no specific version range detailed beyond that. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 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 attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, and the impact is limited to availability (partial denial of service or disruption), with no direct confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (June 20, 2025), and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability primarily affects the availability of the plugin’s services by allowing unauthorized access to functionality that could disrupt normal operations or cause service degradation. Since WP Visitor Statistics is a popular plugin used to monitor real-time traffic on WordPress sites, exploitation could lead to inaccurate analytics, potential service interruptions, or indirect impacts on website performance and user experience.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to websites and services relying on the WP Visitor Statistics plugin for real-time traffic monitoring. While the direct impact is limited to availability, unauthorized access to plugin functions could disrupt analytics services, leading to loss of critical operational insights and potentially affecting decision-making processes based on web traffic data. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, media, and digital marketing that depend heavily on accurate visitor statistics may experience degraded service quality or operational inefficiencies. Additionally, although confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the disruption of availability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain, especially in environments where real-time monitoring is critical for security or compliance. Given the plugin’s widespread use in WordPress sites across Europe, especially among small to medium enterprises and digital agencies, the vulnerability could have a broad but moderate operational impact. The lack of required authentication and user interaction makes exploitation easier, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic attacks, although no active exploitation has been observed yet.

1. Immediate mitigation should include disabling or uninstalling the WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) plugin until a security patch is released by the vendor. 2. Monitor official vendor channels and trusted security advisories for patch announcements and apply updates promptly once available. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to restrict access to plugin-specific endpoints or functions, especially those known or suspected to be vulnerable, limiting exposure to unauthenticated requests. 4. Employ network-level controls to restrict access to administrative or plugin-related URLs to trusted IP addresses where feasible. 5. Conduct regular audits of WordPress plugins and their permissions to ensure minimal exposure and adherence to the principle of least privilege. 6. For organizations relying heavily on visitor statistics, consider alternative analytics solutions with robust security postures until this vulnerability is resolved. 7. Enhance monitoring and logging around web traffic and plugin activity to detect unusual access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate risk reduction through plugin management, targeted access controls, and proactive monitoring tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.