CVE-2025-7965 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the CBX Restaurant Booking plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to 1.2.1. The vulnerability arises because the plugin does not implement CSRF tokens or other anti-CSRF mechanisms when processing requests to update its settings. This security oversight allows an attacker to craft a malicious web request that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, can cause unauthorized changes to the plugin's configuration. The attack vector requires the victim to be logged into the WordPress admin panel and to interact with a maliciously crafted link or webpage, which triggers the settings update without the administrator's explicit consent. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the system by enabling unauthorized configuration changes but does not directly compromise confidentiality or availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating a medium severity, with the vector string AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N, meaning the attack can be performed remotely without privileges but requires user interaction and affects only integrity. No public exploits or patches are currently available, highlighting the need for proactive mitigation. The plugin is typically used by restaurants and hospitality businesses to manage bookings on WordPress sites, making it a targeted vector for attackers aiming to disrupt or manipulate online reservation systems.

For European organizations, particularly those in the hospitality and restaurant sectors using WordPress with the CBX Restaurant Booking plugin, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized administrative changes. Such changes could disrupt booking operations, alter pricing or availability, or introduce malicious configurations that degrade service integrity. While the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or cause denial of service directly, unauthorized configuration changes can lead to operational disruptions and loss of customer trust. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe and the importance of online booking systems for restaurants, exploitation could have financial and reputational impacts. Additionally, if attackers leverage this vulnerability as part of a broader attack chain, it could facilitate further compromise of the affected websites. The requirement for administrator interaction limits the scope somewhat but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with less stringent user awareness or where phishing attacks are common.

To mitigate CVE-2025-7965, organizations should first check for updates or patches from the CBX Restaurant Booking plugin developers and apply them promptly once available. In the absence of an official patch, administrators can implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting the plugin's settings endpoints. Enforcing strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and SameSite cookie attributes can reduce the risk of CSRF attacks by limiting cross-origin requests. Additionally, administrators should be trained to avoid clicking on suspicious links while logged into the WordPress admin panel. Restricting administrative access to trusted IP addresses and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) for WordPress admin accounts can further reduce the risk of exploitation. Regularly auditing plugin configurations and monitoring logs for unusual changes can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, organizations should consider isolating critical booking systems or using alternative plugins with stronger security postures if timely patching is not feasible.