CVE-2025-66080 identifies a missing authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in the WP Cookie Notice for GDPR, CCPA & ePrivacy Consent plugin developed by WP Legal Pages. This plugin is widely used to manage cookie consent banners and compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and ePrivacy. The vulnerability arises from incorrectly configured access control security levels, allowing unauthorized remote attackers to perform actions that should be restricted. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L), the attack can be executed over the network without authentication or user interaction, with low attack complexity. The impact is limited to availability, potentially enabling denial of service or disruption of cookie consent functionality, which could affect website compliance and user experience. The affected versions include all up to 4.0.3, with no patches currently linked. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability's nature suggests that attackers could disrupt service or manipulate cookie consent mechanisms indirectly by causing failures or misconfigurations. Given the plugin’s role in regulatory compliance, such disruptions could have legal and operational consequences for website operators.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to website availability and compliance with privacy regulations. Disruption of cookie consent mechanisms can lead to non-compliance with GDPR and ePrivacy directives, potentially resulting in regulatory scrutiny or fines. Additionally, service interruptions may degrade user trust and website functionality. Organizations relying on this plugin for cookie consent management are at risk of denial of service attacks that could affect customer-facing websites or internal portals. Since the vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity, direct data breaches are unlikely. However, the indirect effects on compliance and service continuity are significant, especially for sectors with strict privacy obligations such as finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. The lack of authentication requirement increases the risk of automated exploitation attempts, emphasizing the need for timely mitigation.

1. Monitor official WP Legal Pages channels and trusted vulnerability databases for patch releases addressing CVE-2025-66080 and apply updates promptly. 2. In the absence of patches, implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to restrict access to sensitive plugin endpoints or functions that may be exploited due to missing authorization. 3. Conduct a thorough review of access control configurations related to the WP Cookie Notice plugin to ensure that administrative or sensitive operations are properly restricted. 4. Limit exposure by restricting plugin management interfaces to trusted IP addresses or internal networks where feasible. 5. Regularly audit website logs for unusual access patterns or repeated unauthorized requests targeting the plugin. 6. Consider temporary disabling or replacing the vulnerable plugin with alternative compliant solutions until a secure version is available. 7. Educate website administrators about the risks of missing authorization vulnerabilities and the importance of timely updates and access control validation.