CVE-2025-2797 in Woffice Core Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/04/2025
The Woffice Core plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 5.4.21. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the 'woffice_handle_user_approval_actions' function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to approve registration for any user 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 • 08/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-2797 affects the Woffice Core plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 5.4.21. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of user registration approval processes within WordPress environments. The issue stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that should normally protect administrative functions from unauthorized manipulation. The Woffice plugin serves as a comprehensive office management solution for WordPress sites, providing features such as user management, document handling, and workflow automation that are essential for business operations. When compromised, this vulnerability can severely impact the security posture of organizations relying on WordPress for their digital infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests in the 'woffice_handle_user_approval_actions' function which lacks proper nonce validation. Nonces, or number used once, serve as critical security tokens that ensure requests originate from legitimate sources and are not forged by malicious actors. Without proper nonce verification, attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to validate that requests originate from legitimate users. The absence of nonce validation creates an attack vector where unauthenticated threat actors can manipulate user registration workflows without requiring valid credentials or administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for WordPress administrators and organizations using the Woffice plugin. Attackers can exploit this weakness to approve registrations for arbitrary users, potentially allowing unauthorized individuals to gain access to restricted areas of the website or application. This could lead to data breaches, unauthorized content modifications, or complete compromise of user management systems. The attack requires minimal technical expertise since it relies on social engineering techniques to trick administrators into clicking malicious links, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators may not be fully security-aware. The vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model of user registration approval, allowing attackers to bypass normal security controls that should prevent unauthorized access to administrative functions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the nonce validation issue. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as enabling two-factor authentication for administrative accounts, monitoring user registration activities for suspicious patterns, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and strict access controls can provide additional defense in depth. Administrators should also educate users about the risks of clicking untrusted links and implement security awareness training programs. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability relates to T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) where attackers leverage social engineering to gain unauthorized access and then exploit weak authentication controls to escalate privileges. The recommended approach includes implementing proper input validation, ensuring all administrative functions require robust authentication tokens, and maintaining up-to-date security practices across all WordPress components. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring systems that can detect anomalous user approval patterns and alert security teams to potential exploitation attempts.