CVE-2025-13386 in Social Images Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/25/2025
The Social Images Widget plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'options_update' function in all versions up to, and including, 2.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete the plugin's settings via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-13386 affects the Social Images Widget plugin for WordPress, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the integrity of plugin configurations. This weakness stems from the absence of proper capability validation within the plugin's options_update function, which operates without requiring authentication or authorization checks. The flaw exists across all versions of the plugin up to and including version 2.1, making it a widespread concern for WordPress site administrators who have installed this particular plugin.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the plugin's configuration settings through carefully crafted forged requests. The attack vector specifically exploits the missing capability check by enabling malicious actors to submit requests that modify or delete plugin options without proper authentication. This occurs because the plugin's update mechanism fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges to make such changes. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when combined with social engineering techniques that can trick administrators into executing malicious actions, such as clicking on deceptive links that trigger the vulnerable function.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification to encompass potential complete compromise of the plugin's functionality and associated security controls. Attackers who successfully exploit this flaw could not only delete plugin settings but also potentially alter configuration parameters that might affect how social media images are displayed or processed on the website. This could lead to disruption of services, potential exposure of sensitive data, or even serve as a stepping stone for further attacks on the WordPress installation. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-863, which addresses "Incorrect Authorization" issues where access control checks are improperly implemented, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, as the attack requires only the ability to trick administrators into performing actions rather than direct access to administrative credentials.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the capability check deficiency, as well as implementing additional security measures such as network-level restrictions on administrative functions and enhanced monitoring of plugin configuration changes. Site administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious requests to administrative endpoints, and conduct regular security audits to identify similar authorization flaws in other installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper capability validation in WordPress plugins and highlights the need for developers to implement robust access control mechanisms that protect against unauthorized modifications to plugin configurations.