CVE-2025-62866 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Valerio Monti Auto Alt Text plugin, a tool designed to automatically generate alt text for images, commonly used in web content management systems. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 2.5.2. CSRF vulnerabilities allow attackers to craft malicious web requests that, when executed by an authenticated user, cause the user’s browser to perform unintended actions on the vulnerable application. In this case, an attacker could potentially manipulate the plugin’s settings or trigger actions without the user’s consent. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, does not require privileges, but does require user interaction (such as clicking a link). The impact is limited to integrity, with no direct confidentiality or availability impact. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no patches are currently linked, suggesting that remediation may still be pending or in development. The vulnerability primarily threatens the integrity of the plugin’s configuration or behavior, which could lead to unauthorized changes affecting website accessibility or content presentation. This vulnerability is relevant for organizations using the Auto Alt Text plugin, particularly those relying on automated accessibility features in their web infrastructure.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-62866 lies in the potential unauthorized modification of plugin settings or behavior, which could degrade website accessibility or user experience. While it does not directly compromise sensitive data confidentiality or system availability, integrity violations could undermine compliance with accessibility regulations such as the EU Web Accessibility Directive. Organizations in sectors with strict accessibility requirements (e.g., government, education, public services) may face reputational damage or regulatory scrutiny if exploited. Additionally, unauthorized changes could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities. The requirement for user interaction limits large-scale automated exploitation but targeted phishing or social engineering campaigns could still pose risks. Since the plugin is typically used within content management systems, the attack surface is web-facing, increasing exposure. Overall, the impact is moderate but should not be overlooked in environments prioritizing web accessibility and content integrity.

To mitigate CVE-2025-62866, organizations should: 1) Monitor for and apply official patches or updates from Valerio Monti as soon as they become available to address the CSRF vulnerability. 2) Implement anti-CSRF tokens or similar request validation mechanisms within the web application or CMS to ensure that state-changing requests originate from legitimate sources. 3) Restrict access to the Auto Alt Text plugin’s administrative interfaces to trusted users only, employing role-based access controls and least privilege principles. 4) Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites to reduce the likelihood of successful CSRF attacks requiring user interaction. 5) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on web application vulnerabilities, including CSRF, to identify and remediate weaknesses proactively. 6) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block CSRF attack patterns. 7) Review and harden session management and authentication mechanisms to limit session hijacking risks that could amplify the impact of CSRF attacks.