CVE-2025-5394 is a critical security vulnerability affecting the Alone – Charity Multipurpose Non-profit WordPress Theme developed by Bearsthemes. The vulnerability arises from a missing authorization check in the function alone_import_pack_install_plugin(), which is responsible for handling plugin installation via zip file uploads. Specifically, this function does not verify whether the user has the necessary capabilities to perform plugin installations, allowing unauthenticated attackers to upload arbitrary zip files. These zip files can contain malicious webshells disguised as plugins, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely on the affected WordPress site. The vulnerability affects all versions of the theme up to and including version 7.8.3. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 reflects the critical nature of this flaw, highlighting that it can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation and the high impact make this vulnerability a significant threat to WordPress sites using this theme, especially those operating in sensitive sectors such as charities and non-profits. The lack of a patch at the time of publication further exacerbates the risk, necessitating immediate mitigation efforts by site administrators.

For European organizations, especially charities, non-profits, and NGOs that rely on the Alone WordPress theme for their web presence, this vulnerability poses a severe risk. Successful exploitation can lead to complete takeover of the affected web server, allowing attackers to steal sensitive donor information, disrupt online services, deface websites, or use compromised servers as pivot points for further attacks within organizational networks. Given the GDPR regulations in Europe, a breach resulting from this vulnerability could lead to significant legal and financial penalties due to data exposure. Additionally, the reputational damage to charitable organizations could undermine public trust and funding. The fact that the vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction means that attackers can scan and exploit vulnerable sites en masse, increasing the likelihood of widespread compromise across European entities using this theme.

Immediate mitigation steps include: 1) Temporarily disabling or removing the Alone theme from production environments until a security patch is released by Bearsthemes. 2) Restricting file upload permissions on the web server to prevent unauthorized plugin installations, such as disabling the ability to upload plugins via the WordPress admin or directly via the theme functions. 3) Implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block attempts to access the vulnerable function or upload suspicious zip files. 4) Monitoring web server logs for unusual upload activity or execution of unknown scripts. 5) Applying the principle of least privilege by ensuring that WordPress users have minimal necessary permissions, and disabling plugin installation capabilities for non-administrative users. 6) Once a patch is available, promptly updating the theme to the fixed version. 7) Conducting a thorough security audit of affected sites to detect any signs of compromise or webshell deployment. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate containment and proactive detection tailored to this specific vulnerability.