CVE-2025-7692 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the Orion Login with SMS plugin for WordPress, developed by gsayed786. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.5. The root cause lies in the olws_handle_verify_phone() function, which fails to implement a sufficiently strong One-Time Password (OTP) mechanism. Specifically, the OTP generation process exposes the hash required to generate the OTP, weakening the security of the authentication process. Additionally, there are no restrictions on the number of OTP submission attempts, allowing attackers to perform brute-force attacks to guess valid OTPs. This combination enables unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication controls and log in as arbitrary users, including administrators, provided they know the target user's phone number. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without any user interaction or prior authentication, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N). The impact includes full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected WordPress sites using this plugin, as attackers can gain administrative access and control the site. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been published yet. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-288, which concerns authentication bypass using alternate paths or channels.

For European organizations using WordPress websites with the Orion Login with SMS plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized administrative access, allowing attackers to manipulate website content, steal sensitive data, deploy malware, or use the compromised site as a pivot point for further attacks within the organization. This can result in reputational damage, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations due to data breaches), financial losses, and operational disruption. Given the plugin’s role in authentication, the bypass undermines trust in multi-factor authentication mechanisms, potentially affecting organizations relying on SMS-based login verification. The absence of exploitation in the wild currently offers a window for proactive mitigation, but the ease of exploitation (no authentication or user interaction required) means attackers could rapidly weaponize this vulnerability once publicized.

European organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations to identify the presence of the Orion Login with SMS plugin. Until an official patch is released, organizations should consider disabling the plugin to eliminate the attack surface. If disabling is not feasible, restrict access to the WordPress login page via IP whitelisting or VPN to limit exposure. Implement additional layers of authentication, such as app-based authenticators or hardware tokens, to reduce reliance on SMS-based OTPs. Monitor login attempts for unusual activity, especially repeated OTP submissions, and set up alerts for potential brute-force attempts. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of SMS-based authentication and encourage the use of more secure multi-factor authentication methods. Once a patch is available, prioritize its deployment and verify that OTP generation and verification mechanisms are robust, including rate limiting and strong cryptographic protections for OTP secrets.