CVE-2025-12979 in Welcart e-Commerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/13/2025
The Welcart e-Commerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the 'usces_export' action in all versions up to, and including, 2.11.24. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to access configured payment credentials (ex. PayPal api secret) , as well as business contact details, mail templates, and other operational settings tied to the store.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2025
The Welcart e-commerce plugin for wordpress represents a significant security vulnerability through its failure to implement proper access controls for critical administrative functions. This flaw exists within the plugin's handling of the 'usces_export' action, which is designed to export various store configuration data. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.11.24, creating a persistent risk for wordpress sites utilizing this plugin. The missing capability check essentially removes any authentication barriers that should normally prevent unauthorized access to sensitive operational data, allowing any visitor to the website to potentially exploit this functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper user role validation within the plugin's codebase. When the 'usces_export' action is invoked, the system fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges required to access export functionality. This oversight creates a direct pathway for attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and retrieve sensitive information from the plugin's database. The flaw operates at the application level, specifically within the plugin's access control mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no valid credentials to exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it provides attackers with access to critical business information that could be used for various malicious activities. Payment credentials including paypal api secrets represent the most severe risk, as these tokens could enable attackers to process fraudulent transactions or gain unauthorized access to connected financial accounts. Additionally, business contact details, mail templates, and other operational settings provide attackers with comprehensive information about the store's operations, customer data, and business processes. This information could be leveraged for social engineering attacks, targeted phishing campaigns, or further exploitation of the compromised system.
The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as cwe-284, which describes improper access control, and reflects patterns commonly seen in wordpress plugin security flaws. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple tactics within the attack chain including privilege escalation and credential access, as outlined in the attack technique framework. The lack of capability checks represents a fundamental security misconfiguration that violates basic security principles of least privilege and defense in depth. Organizations using affected versions of the welcart plugin face significant exposure risks, particularly those handling sensitive financial data or customer information.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the missing capability check, though organizations should also implement additional protective measures. Network-level restrictions using firewalls or web application firewalls can help limit access to the vulnerable endpoint, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual access patterns to export functionality. Regular security audits of wordpress plugins and themes should include verification of access control implementations, with particular attention to administrative endpoints. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regularly review user permissions to ensure appropriate access levels. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive business data.