CVE-2025-53261 in WP YouTube Live Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in macbookandrew WP YouTube Live allows Cross Site Request Forgery. This issue affects WP YouTube Live: from n/a through 1.10.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2025
The CVE-2025-53261 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the macbookandrew WP YouTube Live WordPress plugin, exposing systems to unauthorized administrative actions. This vulnerability exists in versions ranging from the initial release through 1.10.0, indicating a prolonged period during which the plugin remained susceptible to this class of attack. The flaw specifically enables malicious actors to trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions on the WordPress site without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery tokens or validation mechanisms within the plugin's request handling process. When administrators or authenticated users interact with the WordPress admin panel while the vulnerable plugin is active, attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the WordPress installation. This allows unauthorized modifications to be executed under the guise of legitimate administrative actions, potentially leading to complete compromise of the affected WordPress site.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can enable attackers to execute a wide range of malicious activities including but not limited to modifying plugin settings, creating new administrator accounts, uploading malicious files, or even deleting critical content. The vulnerability particularly affects WordPress installations where the WP YouTube Live plugin is deployed, making it a significant concern for website owners who rely on this plugin for YouTube integration. Given that WordPress remains one of the most widely used content management systems, the potential attack surface for this vulnerability is extensive, with numerous websites potentially at risk.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in software applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1566, which involves the exploitation of vulnerabilities to gain initial access or escalate privileges within target environments. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the plugin, implementing proper anti-forgery token validation, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other installed plugins and themes, as CSRF attacks often exploit similar implementation gaps across various components of web applications.