CVE-2025-6833 is an authorization bypass vulnerability classified under CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key) affecting the WordPress plugin 'All in One Time Clock Lite – Tracking Employee Time Has Never Been Easier' by codebangers. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 2.0 due to insufficient validation of a user-controlled key parameter in the AJAX action 'aio_time_clock_lite_js'. This lack of validation allows authenticated users with subscriber-level privileges or higher to perform Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) attacks, enabling them to manipulate the clock-in and clock-out status of other users. The attack vector is remote over the network (AV:N), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), and requires privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact affects integrity only (I:L), with no impact on confidentiality or availability. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating medium severity. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability poses a risk to the integrity of employee time tracking data, potentially leading to payroll inaccuracies or internal fraud. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments for employee time management, making it a relevant concern for organizations relying on this tool for operational processes.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the integrity of employee attendance and time tracking data. Manipulation of clock-in/out records can lead to inaccurate payroll processing, financial losses, and potential legal compliance issues related to labor laws. Organizations with strict auditing and regulatory requirements may face challenges in proving accurate employee work hours. Although confidentiality and availability are not directly impacted, the trustworthiness of internal HR and payroll systems can be undermined. This could also facilitate insider threats or fraudulent activities by malicious employees or compromised accounts with subscriber-level access. The impact is more pronounced in sectors with large hourly workforces or where time tracking is critical for billing and compliance, such as manufacturing, retail, and services industries prevalent across Europe.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should first check for and apply any official patches or updates from the plugin vendor once available. In the absence of patches, administrators should restrict subscriber-level user permissions to the minimum necessary and consider disabling or limiting the use of the vulnerable AJAX action via custom code or security plugins that can intercept and validate requests. Implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious AJAX requests targeting the 'aio_time_clock_lite_js' action can reduce exploitation risk. Additionally, monitoring logs for unusual clock-in/out activity and conducting regular audits of time tracking data can help detect abuse. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of privilege misuse and enforce strong authentication and session management controls to prevent account compromise. Finally, consider alternative time tracking solutions with robust access controls if remediation is delayed.