CVE-2025-47447 in Cool Author Box Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Hossni Mubarak Cool Author Box allows Cross Site Request Forgery. This issue affects Cool Author Box: from n/a through 3.0.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
The CVE-2025-47447 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw within the Hossni Mubarak Cool Author Box plugin, a WordPress extension designed to display author information and social media links. This CSRF vulnerability exists in versions ranging from the initial release through version 3.0.0, creating a persistent security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this plugin. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms, specifically the absence of anti-CSRF tokens in critical administrative operations. This oversight allows attackers to exploit the plugin's functionality through maliciously crafted web requests that can be executed without the user's knowledge or consent, particularly when users are authenticated as administrators.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTTP requests that target the Cool Author Box plugin's administrative endpoints. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to modify plugin settings, add or remove author information, or potentially execute arbitrary code within the plugin's context. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that WordPress administrators typically have elevated privileges, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for site security. The absence of proper token validation mechanisms means that any request sent to the plugin's administrative interfaces can be forged by attackers who understand the specific API endpoints and parameter structures used by the Cool Author Box plugin.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for WordPress sites running affected versions of the Cool Author Box plugin, as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized administrative actions without requiring authentication credentials. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the vulnerability affects the entire version range from the initial release through 3.0.0, indicating that the flaw has persisted across multiple updates, suggesting either inadequate security review processes or the complexity of the plugin's architecture. Organizations using this plugin face potential risks including unauthorized modifications to author profiles, data manipulation, potential privilege escalation, and in severe cases, complete site compromise or defacement. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access through social engineering campaigns.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2025-47447 requires immediate action from affected organizations to update to the latest version of the Cool Author Box plugin where the CSRF vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should implement comprehensive security monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to plugin configurations and user accounts. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper input validation can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities, as this flaw may indicate broader security deficiencies within the plugin ecosystem. Regular security audits and updates of WordPress core, themes, and plugins remain essential practices to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities, particularly given the persistent nature of the flaw across multiple versions of the Cool Author Box plugin. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activities related to the plugin's administrative interfaces.