CVE-2025-15482 in Chapa Payment Gateway Plugin for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/04/2026
The Chapa Payment Gateway Plugin for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.3 via 'chapa_proceed' WooCommerce API endpoint. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data including the merchant's Chapa secret API key.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2026
The Chapa Payment Gateway Plugin for WooCommerce represents a critical security vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-15482, affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.3. This vulnerability manifests through the 'chapa_proceed' WooCommerce API endpoint, which exposes sensitive merchant data without proper authentication requirements. The flaw constitutes a significant risk to e-commerce operations as it allows unauthorized parties to access critical payment processing credentials that could compromise entire payment infrastructures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the plugin's API endpoint design. The 'chapa_proceed' endpoint fails to validate authentication credentials or implement proper authorization checks, creating an unrestricted data access point. This design flaw aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically manifesting as insufficient access control mechanisms that permit unauthorized information disclosure. Attackers can exploit this weakness by simply making API requests to the vulnerable endpoint, bypassing any security measures that should normally protect sensitive merchant data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed Chapa secret API key represents a complete compromise of payment processing security. Once obtained, this secret key enables attackers to process fraudulent transactions, modify payment configurations, and potentially access all associated merchant data through the Chapa payment processing system. The vulnerability affects WordPress environments running WooCommerce with the Chapa plugin, creating widespread exposure across numerous e-commerce platforms that rely on this payment gateway integration. This risk is particularly severe because the secret API key provides attackers with persistent access to merchant payment processing capabilities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched version of the Chapa Payment Gateway Plugin for WooCommerce, if available. Security administrators must also consider implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to the vulnerable API endpoint and monitor for suspicious API activity. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 Initial Access - Phishing, as attackers may use the exposed API keys to establish persistent access to payment systems. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol - DNS, if attackers use the exposed credentials to establish command and control channels. Organizations should also review their API endpoint configurations and implement proper authentication mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other payment processing integrations. The exposure of API keys through this vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in security controls that requires immediate remediation to prevent financial loss and potential regulatory violations.