CVE-2025-68998 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Heateor Social Login plugin, a WordPress plugin designed to facilitate social media-based authentication. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 1.1.39. 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 site without their consent. This particular flaw does not require the attacker to have prior authentication (PR:N), but it does require user interaction (UI:R), such as clicking a malicious link or visiting a crafted webpage. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity by potentially allowing unauthorized changes or leakage of user-related data, though availability is not affected. The CVSS score of 5.4 (medium severity) reflects the moderate impact and ease of exploitation over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L). The plugin’s lack of proper CSRF protections (such as missing or inadequate anti-CSRF tokens) enables this attack vector. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches are currently linked, though the vendor is expected to address the issue. The vulnerability is significant for websites relying on Heateor Social Login for user authentication, especially those handling sensitive user data or financial transactions.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users, potentially resulting in data leakage, unauthorized profile changes, or manipulation of user sessions. This can undermine user trust and lead to compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is compromised. E-commerce platforms and service providers using Heateor Social Login are particularly at risk, as attackers could exploit the vulnerability to alter account settings or gain indirect access to sensitive information. While the vulnerability does not directly impact system availability, the integrity and confidentiality risks can have downstream effects on business operations and reputation. Organizations with high volumes of user interactions via social login mechanisms are more exposed. Additionally, the lack of known exploits suggests a window of opportunity for attackers before widespread patching occurs, emphasizing the need for proactive mitigation.

Organizations should immediately audit their use of the Heateor Social Login plugin and verify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling the plugin or replacing it with alternative social login solutions that implement robust CSRF protections. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious CSRF attempts targeting the plugin endpoints. Enforce strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. Educate users about the risks of clicking untrusted links, especially when logged into sensitive accounts. Monitor logs for unusual activity indicative of CSRF exploitation attempts. Once a patch is available, prioritize updating the plugin to the fixed version. Additionally, review and enhance overall CSRF protections site-wide, including the use of anti-CSRF tokens and same-site cookies. Limit administrative access and enforce multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of potential account compromise.