CVE-2025-28868 in Recipe Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in ZipList ZipList Recipe allows Cross Site Request Forgery. This issue affects ZipList Recipe: from n/a through 3.1.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2025
The CVE-2025-28868 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw within the ZipList Recipe plugin, a widely used WordPress recipe management solution. This vulnerability stems from the plugin's inadequate protection mechanisms against unauthorized requests that could be executed on behalf of authenticated users. The issue affects all versions from the initial release through version 3.1, indicating a long-standing security gap that has persisted across multiple iterations of the software. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the plugin fails to implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between users and the web application.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when the ZipList Recipe plugin processes requests without sufficient validation of the request origin or user authorization. Attackers can craft malicious requests that, when executed by authenticated users, perform unintended actions within the plugin's functionality. This typically involves manipulating the plugin's administrative or user-facing features through forged requests that appear legitimate to the server. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because recipe management systems often contain sensitive user data, recipe configurations, and potentially administrative controls that could be exploited to alter or delete content. The absence of proper CSRF token validation means that any authenticated user session can be hijacked to execute unauthorized operations, potentially leading to complete compromise of the plugin's functionality and associated user data.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates significant risks for WordPress sites utilizing ZipList Recipe, particularly those with multiple users or administrative privileges. The attack surface extends beyond simple data manipulation to include potential privilege escalation and data integrity compromise. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique involving privilege escalation and credential access through web application exploitation. Organizations running affected versions face potential unauthorized modifications to recipes, user account manipulation, and possible data loss or corruption within the recipe management system. The long support window from initial release through version 3.1 suggests that this vulnerability has been present for an extended period, increasing the likelihood of exploitation by threat actors who may have discovered and weaponized this weakness.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-28868 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the CSRF implementation gaps. Administrators should implement additional security layers including Content Security Policy headers, proper session management, and regular security audits of WordPress plugins. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates that organizations should conduct comprehensive plugin security reviews and maintain updated security monitoring systems. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the most effective solution remains patching the vulnerable plugin to ensure proper CSRF token implementation and validation. Security teams should also consider implementing user activity monitoring to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate CSRF attack attempts against the affected system.