CVE-2026-25422 in Popularis Extra Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/19/2026
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Themes4WP Popularis Extra popularis-extra allows Cross Site Request Forgery.This issue affects Popularis Extra: from n/a through <= 1.2.10.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2026
This cross-site request forgery vulnerability exists within the Themes4WP Popularis Extra plugin, specifically affecting versions through 1.2.10. The flaw allows attackers to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users who visit malicious websites or click on compromised links. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the plugin's administrative interfaces and form submissions. An attacker could leverage this weakness to perform sensitive operations such as modifying theme settings, updating plugin configurations, or executing administrative tasks without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets the administrative functionality of a popular WordPress theme plugin, potentially allowing attackers to gain persistent control over affected websites. This issue represents a classic CSRF attack vector where the malicious actor crafts requests that appear legitimate to the target system due to the inclusion of valid authentication tokens or session data. The impact extends beyond simple data modification as it could enable complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation through unauthorized administrative actions. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery flaws in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under TA0001 Initial Access and TA0003 Persistence, as attackers could use CSRF to establish footholds and maintain access to compromised systems. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently visit untrusted websites or where users have elevated privileges within the WordPress installation.
The technical implementation of this CSRF flaw involves the plugin's failure to validate the origin of requests or implement anti-CSRF tokens in critical administrative functions. When users access the plugin's administrative interfaces, legitimate requests contain authentication data that the malicious server can exploit by crafting requests that automatically submit to the target system. This allows attackers to manipulate the theme's configuration settings without requiring explicit user interaction beyond visiting a malicious page. The vulnerability affects the plugin's ability to distinguish between legitimate user-initiated requests and those generated by malicious actors. Attackers could potentially create malicious web pages that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin's endpoints, causing unauthorized changes to the website's appearance or functionality. The lack of proper referer checking or token validation mechanisms makes this attack surface particularly wide, as it affects multiple administrative operations within the plugin's interface. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that WordPress administrators often have broad permissions, meaning successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise rather than just data modification.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the vulnerable plugin to version 1.2.11 or later, which should contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement proper CSRF token validation throughout the plugin's administrative interfaces, ensuring that all state-changing operations require valid anti-CSRF tokens. The implementation should follow industry best practices such as using unique tokens for each user session and validating the referer header to prevent cross-domain requests. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth by monitoring for suspicious request patterns and blocking known CSRF attack vectors. Security teams should also implement user education programs to raise awareness about the dangers of visiting untrusted websites while logged into administrative interfaces. Regular security audits of WordPress installations should include checks for outdated plugins and themes that may contain known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper authentication and authorization controls in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged operations are performed. Organizations should maintain updated inventories of all installed plugins and themes, regularly monitoring for security advisories and applying patches promptly. The incident highlights the need for comprehensive security testing that includes vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to identify CSRF weaknesses in web applications. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can also provide additional protection against certain types of CSRF attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed.