CVE-2025-69030 is a medium-severity authorization bypass vulnerability affecting Mikado-Themes Backpack Traveler, a WordPress theme commonly used in travel-related websites. The flaw arises from incorrectly configured access control security levels, specifically allowing an attacker to manipulate a user-controlled key to bypass authorization checks. This means that an attacker with low privileges (authenticated user) can escalate their access rights or access restricted resources without proper authorization. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.10.3. The attack vector is network-based, requiring the attacker to have some level of authenticated access but no user interaction is necessary. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity by potentially exposing or allowing modification of sensitive data or functionality. Availability is not affected. No patches or exploits are currently publicly available, but the vulnerability is published and should be addressed proactively. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) reflects that the attack is remotely exploitable with low complexity and requires low privileges but no user interaction, impacting confidentiality and integrity partially.

For European organizations, especially those operating travel, tourism, or hospitality websites using the Backpack Traveler theme, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or modification, potentially exposing customer data or altering website content. This could result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and loss of customer trust. Since the vulnerability requires low privileges but no user interaction, insider threats or compromised user accounts could be leveraged to escalate access. The impact is more pronounced for organizations relying heavily on WordPress themes from Mikado-Themes, particularly in sectors where sensitive personal or booking information is processed. While availability is not impacted, the breach of confidentiality and integrity could have significant operational and legal consequences.

Organizations should immediately audit their Backpack Traveler theme versions and upgrade to a patched version once available from Mikado-Themes. Until a patch is released, administrators should review and tighten access control configurations, ensuring that user-controlled keys or parameters cannot be manipulated to bypass authorization. Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious parameter tampering can provide interim protection. Monitoring logs for unusual access patterns or privilege escalations is critical. Additionally, enforcing the principle of least privilege for user accounts and employing multi-factor authentication can reduce the risk of exploitation. Regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on access control mechanisms in WordPress themes are recommended to detect similar issues proactively.