CVE-2025-0764 in wpForo Forum Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/28/2025
The wpForo Forum plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file read due to insufficient input validation in the 'update' method of the 'Members' class in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level privileges or higher, to read arbitrary files on the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
The wpForo Forum plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-0764, which stems from inadequate input validation within the plugin's codebase. This flaw exists specifically within the 'update' method of the 'Members' class, affecting all plugin versions through and including 2.4.1. The vulnerability represents a classic path traversal issue that allows authenticated users to exploit the system's file reading capabilities beyond their intended scope. Security researchers have classified this as a privilege escalation vulnerability that leverages the existing authentication mechanisms to achieve unauthorized access to sensitive server resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper sanitization of user-supplied input parameters that are processed by the update method in the Members class. When authenticated users with subscriber-level privileges or higher submit requests containing malicious file path references, the plugin fails to adequately validate or sanitize these inputs before processing them. This insufficient validation creates an exploitable condition where attackers can manipulate file system access requests to retrieve arbitrary files from the server's file system. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the plugin's file handling mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous within WordPress environments where plugins often have extensive file system permissions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress installations using the affected wpForo plugin version. Attackers with subscriber-level access can potentially read sensitive files such as configuration files, database credentials, user information, and other system files that could contain confidential data. The attack surface extends beyond simple file enumeration to include potential information disclosure that could lead to further exploitation attempts. This vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege by allowing lower-privileged users to access resources that should remain restricted to administrators or system-level processes. The impact is particularly severe in multi-user environments where subscriber accounts might be compromised or where users have legitimate access but are not properly monitored for malicious activity.
Organizations and system administrators should immediately implement mitigations to protect their WordPress installations from this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to the latest version of the wpForo plugin where the vulnerability has been patched. Additionally, implementing network-level restrictions and monitoring for unusual file access patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security controls should include restricting file system permissions for the WordPress installation directory and implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application architecture. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-79 Cross-Site Scripting categories, and represents a technique that could be mapped to ATT&CK tactic TA0006 Credential Access and technique T1213 Data from Information Repositories. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins and themes that might present similar attack vectors through insufficient input validation.