CVE-2025-10137 in Snow Monkey Theme Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2025
The Snow Monkey theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 29.1.5 via the request() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to make web requests to arbitrary locations originating from the web application and can be used to query and modify information from internal services.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2025
The Snow Monkey theme for WordPress presents a critical Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-10137, affecting all versions through 29.1.5. This flaw resides within the theme's request() function implementation, which fails to properly validate or sanitize external input parameters that are subsequently used to construct HTTP requests. The vulnerability operates by allowing unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the request function with malicious input that gets executed on the server side, effectively enabling them to initiate HTTP requests from the vulnerable WordPress application to any arbitrary destination.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the theme's core functionality. When the request() function processes user-supplied parameters, it fails to implement adequate sanitization or validation checks that would normally prevent malicious URLs or hostnames from being passed through to the underlying HTTP request mechanisms. This creates a pathway where an attacker can craft requests that bypass normal network security controls and potentially access internal services that would otherwise be protected by firewalls or network segmentation. The vulnerability specifically falls under CWE-918, which defines Server-Side Request Forgery as a condition where an application fails to properly validate user input used in constructing requests to external systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable attackers to perform reconnaissance activities against internal network services and potentially manipulate data within those systems. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to probe internal services such as databases, application servers, or other backend systems that are not directly exposed to the internet. The implications are particularly severe in environments where the WordPress application runs on servers that have access to internal networks, as the vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement and privilege escalation attacks. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS, where attackers might use the compromised WordPress instance to perform DNS queries or other network communications that would otherwise be restricted.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action including updating the Snow Monkey theme to a patched version that properly validates and sanitizes input parameters before they are used in HTTP requests. Organizations should also implement network-level restrictions such as firewalls that prevent the WordPress application server from communicating with internal services, thereby limiting the potential impact of exploitation. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual outbound network connections from the WordPress server, particularly to internal IP ranges or services that are not normally accessed by the web application. The patching process should also include implementing proper input validation routines that follow secure coding practices and prevent the injection of malicious parameters into the request() function. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify any other themes or plugins that might be susceptible to similar vulnerabilities, as this type of flaw often indicates broader security issues within the application ecosystem.