CVE-2025-53261 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the WP YouTube Live plugin developed by macbookandrew. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.10.0. CSRF vulnerabilities allow an attacker to trick an authenticated user into submitting a forged request to a web application in which they are currently authenticated. In this case, the vulnerability exists because the plugin does not properly verify that requests to perform certain actions originate from legitimate users or trusted sources. Exploiting this flaw requires the victim to be authenticated on a WordPress site using the vulnerable plugin and to interact with a maliciously crafted webpage or link. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium severity), with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality impact (C:N), low integrity impact (I:L), and no availability impact (A:N). This means the attacker can cause limited integrity impact (such as changing plugin settings or triggering actions) without needing credentials but requires the user to interact with a malicious element. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or updates have been linked yet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which is a common web application security weakness related to CSRF attacks. The plugin is used to integrate YouTube Live streaming functionality into WordPress sites, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate live stream settings or related content if exploited.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on the extent to which WP YouTube Live is used within their WordPress environments. Organizations that rely on this plugin to manage live streaming content on their websites could face unauthorized changes to live stream configurations or content manipulation, potentially damaging brand reputation or disrupting communications. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or availability, the integrity impact could allow attackers to inject misleading or malicious content into live streams or associated pages. This could be exploited for misinformation, phishing, or social engineering campaigns targeting European users or customers. Additionally, organizations in regulated sectors (e.g., media, finance, or government) may face compliance risks if unauthorized content changes occur. The requirement for user interaction and the absence of privilege requirements lower the risk somewhat but do not eliminate it, especially in environments with high user traffic and less security awareness. The lack of known exploits in the wild suggests limited immediate threat but does not preclude future exploitation once the vulnerability becomes widely known.

European organizations should take proactive steps to mitigate this vulnerability beyond generic advice. First, they should identify all WordPress installations using the WP YouTube Live plugin and verify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, organizations should consider disabling or uninstalling the plugin if live streaming functionality is not critical. If the plugin is essential, implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious CSRF attempts targeting the plugin’s endpoints can reduce risk. Additionally, enforcing strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and SameSite cookie attributes can help mitigate CSRF risks by restricting cross-origin requests. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted links or websites while authenticated on corporate WordPress sites. Monitoring logs for unusual changes in live stream settings or plugin configurations can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Finally, organizations should stay alert for official patches or updates from the vendor and apply them promptly once available.