CVE-2025-52835 is a critical security vulnerability classified under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) found in the ConoHa by GMO WING WordPress Migrator plugin, affecting all versions up to 1.1.9. The vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit the lack of proper CSRF protections to upload a malicious web shell onto the target web server. This is achieved by tricking an authenticated user into submitting a crafted request, which the vulnerable plugin processes without verifying the legitimacy of the request origin. The consequence is severe: an attacker can gain remote code execution capabilities by uploading a web shell, leading to full compromise of the web server, including confidentiality breaches, data manipulation, and service disruption. The CVSS v3.1 score of 9.6 reflects the vulnerability's critical nature, with an attack vector over the network, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. The scope is changed, indicating that exploitation affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the potential impact warrants urgent remediation. The vulnerability is particularly relevant for organizations using WordPress sites migrated or managed via the ConoHa by GMO WING WordPress Migrator plugin, which is popular in certain hosting environments. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate compensating controls to mitigate risk.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-52835 is significant. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized remote code execution on web servers hosting WordPress sites, resulting in data breaches, defacement, malware distribution, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. This can compromise sensitive customer data, intellectual property, and disrupt business operations. Given the widespread use of WordPress across Europe and the increasing adoption of cloud hosting and migration tools like ConoHa by GMO WING WordPress Migrator, many organizations could be exposed. The critical severity and ease of exploitation (no authentication required, only user interaction) increase the likelihood of targeted attacks or opportunistic exploitation. Additionally, the ability to upload web shells can facilitate persistent access and further attacks such as ransomware deployment. The reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR for data breaches are also considerable. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government are particularly at risk due to the sensitivity of their data and services.

1. Immediately monitor for any suspicious HTTP requests or file uploads related to the WordPress Migrator plugin and web shell indicators. 2. Implement strict CSRF protections at the web application firewall (WAF) or reverse proxy level to block unauthorized cross-site requests targeting the migrator plugin endpoints. 3. Restrict file upload permissions and validate all uploads rigorously, including MIME type and file content inspection, to prevent web shell uploads. 4. Disable or remove the WING WordPress Migrator plugin if not actively used until a security patch is released. 5. Apply the official security patch from ConoHa by GMO as soon as it becomes available. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of interacting with untrusted links or sites that could trigger CSRF attacks. 7. Employ network segmentation and least privilege principles to limit the impact of a compromised web server. 8. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on web application vulnerabilities and plugin security. 9. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access to WordPress and hosting control panels to reduce risk from compromised credentials. 10. Maintain up-to-date backups to enable recovery in case of successful exploitation.