CVE-2025-9616 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the PopAd plugin for WordPress, developed by alobaidi. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0.4. The root cause is the absence or incorrect implementation of nonce validation in the PopAd_reset_cookie_time function. Nonces are security tokens used to verify that requests originate from legitimate users and not from malicious third-party sites. Without proper nonce validation, an attacker can craft a malicious request that, when executed by an authenticated site administrator (e.g., by clicking a link), triggers the resetting of cookie time settings within the plugin. This action does not require the attacker to be authenticated themselves, as the attack leverages the administrator's session and privileges. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the plugin's configuration by allowing unauthorized modification of cookie timing parameters, which could potentially be leveraged for further attacks such as session hijacking or bypassing security controls tied to cookie expiration. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires no privileges or user interaction from the attacker, and impacts integrity but not confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or updates have been linked yet. The vulnerability was published on September 4, 2025, and assigned by Wordfence.

For European organizations using WordPress websites with the PopAd plugin installed, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Since the vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate cookie timing settings via CSRF, it could lead to unauthorized changes in session management behavior. This may facilitate session fixation or prolonged session durations, increasing the risk of session hijacking or unauthorized access to administrative functions. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, the integrity compromise could be a stepping stone for more severe attacks. European organizations, especially those in sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government, could face compliance risks if attackers exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access. Additionally, websites that rely on PopAd for advertising or user engagement might experience reputational damage if attackers manipulate cookie settings to serve malicious ads or track users improperly. The lack of authentication requirement for the attacker and the reliance on tricking administrators via social engineering (e.g., phishing links) means that user awareness and training are critical factors in risk mitigation.

1. Immediate mitigation involves disabling or uninstalling the PopAd plugin until a secure patch is released. 2. Monitor official channels from the vendor alobaidi and WordPress plugin repositories for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability. 3. Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and SameSite cookie attributes to reduce the risk of CSRF attacks by limiting cross-origin requests and cookie transmission. 4. Educate site administrators about the risks of clicking on unsolicited or suspicious links, especially when logged into administrative accounts. 5. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules that detect and block CSRF attack patterns targeting the PopAd_reset_cookie_time function or similar endpoints. 6. Review and harden nonce implementation in custom or third-party plugins to ensure proper validation of state-changing requests. 7. Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on CSRF and session management vulnerabilities. 8. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access to reduce the impact of session hijacking attempts.