CVE-2025-69361 is a vulnerability identified in the PublishPress Post Expirator WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 4.9.3. The core issue is a missing authorization check within the plugin's post-expiration functionality, which leads to incorrectly configured access control security levels. This flaw allows users with limited privileges (low privilege roles) to perform actions related to post expiration that should be restricted, such as modifying or triggering post expiration settings without proper authorization. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network (AV:N), requires low privileges (PR:L), and does not require user interaction (UI:N). The impact is limited to confidentiality (C:L), with no direct impact on integrity or availability. This means an attacker could potentially gain access to information or metadata related to post expiration settings that should be restricted but cannot alter or disrupt the system. The vulnerability does not have known exploits in the wild, and no official patches have been linked at the time of publication. The issue stems from access control misconfigurations rather than code execution or injection, making it a moderate risk but one that could be leveraged in combination with other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. Organizations using the PublishPress Post Expirator plugin should review their user role assignments and plugin configurations to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive post expiration controls.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to websites and content management systems running WordPress with the PublishPress Post Expirator plugin installed. The potential impact includes unauthorized access to post expiration settings, which could lead to premature content removal or exposure of sensitive scheduling information. While it does not directly compromise data integrity or availability, unauthorized manipulation of post expiration could disrupt content lifecycle management, affecting business operations, marketing campaigns, or compliance with content retention policies. Organizations in sectors relying heavily on timely content publication and expiration, such as media, publishing, and e-commerce, may experience operational disruptions or reputational damage. The confidentiality impact, though limited, could expose internal scheduling details or metadata that might aid further attacks. Since exploitation requires low privileges but no user interaction, insider threats or compromised low-privilege accounts could leverage this vulnerability. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability should be addressed proactively to prevent potential chained attacks.

To mitigate CVE-2025-69361, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Immediately audit and restrict user roles and permissions within WordPress to ensure that only trusted users have access to post expiration functionalities. 2) Disable or remove the PublishPress Post Expirator plugin if it is not essential to reduce the attack surface. 3) Monitor official PublishPress channels and security advisories for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 4) Implement web application firewalls (WAF) with rules tailored to detect and block unauthorized attempts to access or modify post expiration endpoints. 5) Conduct regular security reviews and penetration testing focused on access control mechanisms within WordPress plugins. 6) Employ logging and alerting for unusual activities related to post expiration settings to detect potential exploitation attempts early. 7) Educate content managers and administrators about the risks of privilege misuse and enforce strong authentication and session management practices. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control tightening, proactive monitoring, and plugin-specific risk management.