CVE-2025-14342 in SEO Plugin Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/19/2026
The SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the sq_ajax_uninstall function in all versions up to, and including, 12.4.14. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to disconnect the site from Squirrly's cloud service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2026
The SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO represents a widely used WordPress plugin that provides search engine optimization capabilities for website administrators. This particular vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 12.4.14, creating a significant security risk for WordPress installations that rely on this plugin for their SEO management. The flaw manifests in the sq_ajax_uninstall function which fails to implement proper capability checks before executing sensitive operations. This oversight allows authenticated attackers who possess Subscriber-level privileges or higher to exploit the vulnerability and perform unauthorized actions against the plugin's functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper access control validation within the ajax endpoint. When an attacker with Subscriber-level access or greater makes a request to the sq_ajax_uninstall function, the plugin does not verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges required to perform uninstallation or disconnection operations. This missing capability check represents a classic security flaw that aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms. The vulnerability essentially allows privilege escalation within the plugin's context, enabling users with minimal permissions to execute operations typically reserved for administrators or higher privileged roles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it provides attackers with the ability to disconnect the website from Squirrly's cloud service. This disconnection can result in the loss of critical SEO data, analytics, and synchronization features that users depend upon for their website management. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a valuable vector for causing disruption and potentially gaining further access to the WordPress installation through the compromised plugin. The vulnerability also creates a persistent threat where attackers can repeatedly disconnect the site from cloud services, leading to ongoing service degradation and potential loss of SEO rankings. This type of attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers valid accounts and T1566.002 which involves spearphishing with social engineering, as the vulnerability exploits legitimate user accounts to perform unauthorized actions.
Organizations using the Squirrly SEO plugin should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability, including upgrading to the latest version where the capability check has been properly implemented. Administrators should also review user permissions and ensure that only trusted individuals possess Subscriber-level access or higher. The recommended remediation approach involves verifying that all ajax endpoints within WordPress plugins implement proper capability checks using WordPress's built-in functions such as current_user_can() before executing sensitive operations. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of plugin disconnection or uninstallation attempts that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix should also include implementing proper logging of these events to enable forensic analysis and incident response activities.