CVE-2025-8565 in WP Legal Pages Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/18/2025
The Privacy Policy Generator, Terms & Conditions Generator WordPress Plugin : WP Legal Pages plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of functionality due to a missing capability check on the wplp_gdpr_install_plugin_ajax_handler() function in all versions up to, and including, 3.4.3. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to install arbitrary repository plugins.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-8565 affects the WP Legal Pages plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting the Privacy Policy Generator and Terms & Conditions Generator functionalities. This issue represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security model of WordPress installations relying on this plugin. The vulnerability exists within the wplp_gdpr_install_plugin_ajax_handler() function, which fails to properly validate user capabilities before executing plugin installation operations. The flaw permits authenticated attackers who possess Contributor-level permissions or higher to exploit this functionality, bypassing the intended access controls that should restrict such administrative operations to users with appropriate privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a missing capability check within the plugin's AJAX handler function. This function, designed to manage GDPR compliance plugin installations, does not verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient privileges to perform plugin installation operations. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control vulnerability where the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks. The vulnerability specifically allows attackers with Contributor-level access to escalate their privileges and install arbitrary plugins from the WordPress repository, potentially leading to full system compromise. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in the plugin's permission validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating significant risks for WordPress site administrators and their users. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install malicious plugins that may contain backdoors, malware, or other harmful code that persists even after the initial exploitation. The ability to install arbitrary plugins from the official WordPress repository provides attackers with legitimate means to deploy their payloads, making detection more difficult and increasing the attack surface. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for executing malicious code through plugin installations and T1078.004 for gaining access through valid accounts with sufficient privileges. The exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to complete compromise of the WordPress installation, data exfiltration, and potential use as a foothold for further attacks within network environments.
Organizations using the affected WP Legal Pages plugin version 3.4.3 or earlier should immediately implement mitigations to protect their WordPress installations from exploitation. The primary mitigation involves upgrading to the latest plugin version that addresses this capability check vulnerability. Administrators should also review user permissions and ensure that only trusted users maintain Contributor or higher privileges within their WordPress environments. Additionally, implementing network monitoring and anomaly detection can help identify unauthorized plugin installation activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security hardening practices should include regular security audits of installed plugins, ensuring that all WordPress components remain updated with the latest security patches, and maintaining comprehensive backup strategies to enable rapid recovery from potential compromise scenarios.