CVE-2025-9949 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Internal Links Manager plugin for WordPress, developed by webraketen. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 3.0.1. The root cause is the absence or incorrect implementation of nonce validation in the plugin's link deletion functionality, specifically within the process_bulk_action() function. Nonces in WordPress are security tokens used to verify that requests are intentional and originate from legitimate users. Without proper nonce validation, an attacker can craft a malicious request that, if executed by an authenticated site administrator (e.g., by clicking a link or visiting a malicious page), can trigger the deletion of SEO links managed by the plugin. This attack does not require the attacker to be authenticated themselves but relies on social engineering to trick an administrator into performing the action. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the website's SEO structure by allowing unauthorized deletion of internal links, which can degrade site navigation and search engine rankings. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires no privileges, but does require user interaction. The impact is limited to integrity loss without affecting confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that mitigation may require manual updates once available or temporary protective measures.

For European organizations using WordPress sites with the Internal Links Manager plugin, this vulnerability poses a risk to website integrity and SEO effectiveness. SEO is critical for online visibility and business operations, especially for e-commerce, media, and service providers. Unauthorized deletion of internal links can disrupt site navigation, reduce search engine rankings, and potentially lead to loss of traffic and revenue. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidential data or site availability, the reputational and financial impact of degraded SEO can be significant. Additionally, attackers could leverage this vulnerability as part of a broader attack chain, potentially combining it with phishing or social engineering campaigns targeting site administrators. European organizations with high reliance on WordPress for their web presence, particularly those with less mature cybersecurity awareness or lacking strict administrative controls, are at greater risk.

1. Immediate mitigation involves educating WordPress site administrators to avoid clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites while logged into the WordPress admin panel. 2. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting the Internal Links Manager plugin's link deletion endpoints. 3. Restrict administrative access to the WordPress backend by IP whitelisting or VPN access to reduce exposure. 4. Monitor and audit administrative actions related to link management to detect unusual deletions. 5. Regularly update the Internal Links Manager plugin as soon as a patch addressing this vulnerability is released. 6. Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the plugin if immediate patching is not possible. 7. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to reduce the risk of CSRF by limiting the sources of executable scripts and forms. 8. Encourage administrators to use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of account compromise that could be exploited in conjunction with CSRF.