CVE-2025-68989 is a vulnerability identified in the Renzo Johnson Contact Form 7 Extension for Mailchimp, specifically affecting versions up to and including 0.9.49. This extension integrates the popular WordPress plugin Contact Form 7 with Mailchimp, enabling form data to be sent to Mailchimp lists. The vulnerability involves the insertion of sensitive information into the data sent by the plugin, which can be retrieved by an attacker. Technically, the flaw allows unauthorized remote attackers to access embedded sensitive data within the transmitted payloads without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 reflects a high severity, with an attack vector over the network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no direct impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability likely stems from improper sanitization or encryption of sensitive fields before transmission, allowing attackers to intercept or retrieve data that should remain confidential. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the potential for data leakage is significant, especially for organizations handling personal data or sensitive customer information through web forms. The vulnerability affects all installations using the vulnerable versions of the plugin, which is widely used in WordPress environments integrating with Mailchimp. The lack of an official patch link suggests that remediation may require vendor updates or temporary disabling of the extension. Given the widespread use of Contact Form 7 and Mailchimp in Europe, this vulnerability presents a notable risk to data confidentiality.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-68989 is the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information transmitted via the Contact Form 7 Extension for Mailchimp. For European organizations, this can lead to breaches of personal data protected under GDPR, resulting in legal penalties, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, healthcare, finance, and public services that rely on web forms for customer interaction and data collection are particularly vulnerable. The ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of automated or targeted attacks. Data leakage could include personal identifiers, contact details, or other confidential inputs submitted through forms. This exposure could facilitate further attacks such as phishing, identity theft, or corporate espionage. Additionally, compromised data integrity in marketing lists could degrade business operations and customer engagement. The vulnerability does not affect system availability or integrity directly but poses a significant confidentiality risk that must be addressed promptly to avoid regulatory and operational consequences.

To mitigate CVE-2025-68989, European organizations should: 1) Immediately identify and inventory all WordPress sites using the Contact Form 7 Extension for Mailchimp, focusing on versions up to 0.9.49. 2) Disable the vulnerable extension temporarily if a patched version is not yet available to prevent data leakage. 3) Monitor official vendor channels and security advisories for the release of a patch and apply updates promptly once available. 4) Implement network-level protections such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the vulnerable plugin endpoints. 5) Conduct thorough audits of data flows from web forms to Mailchimp to ensure sensitive data is properly sanitized and encrypted. 6) Enhance logging and monitoring to detect unusual access patterns or data exfiltration attempts related to form submissions. 7) Educate development and security teams about secure handling of sensitive data in third-party plugins and enforce strict code review policies. 8) Consider alternative plugins or custom integrations with Mailchimp that follow secure coding practices until the vulnerability is resolved. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate containment, proactive monitoring, and secure development practices tailored to the specific plugin and data flow involved.