Plugin Name	WordPress Stop Spammers Plugin
Type of Vulnerability	Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
CVE Number	CVE-2025-14795
Urgency	Low
CVE Publish Date	2026-01-28
Source URL	CVE-2025-14795

Cross-Site Request Forgery in Stop Spammers Plugin (CVE-2025-14795) — Essential Security Steps for WordPress Site Owners

Summary: A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been identified in the Stop Spammers WordPress plugin (affecting versions up to and including 2026.1). This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to trick logged-in administrators or privileged users into performing unintended actions—most notably adding email addresses to the plugin’s allowlist. Tracked as CVE-2025-14795, the vulnerability was addressed in version 2026.2. If you rely on this plugin, immediate updating and following the recommended security measures below are critical.

This article provides a clear, practical overview covering:

• The nature and mechanics of the vulnerability.
• The potential impact and risks to your WordPress site.
• How to check if your site has been targeted or compromised.
• Immediate and ongoing mitigation strategies, including updates and protective controls.
• How Managed-WP’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) enhances protection during patching.
• Recommended actionable steps tailored for WordPress security professionals.

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Executive Summary

• Affected Software: Stop Spammers WordPress plugin (versions ≤ 2026.1)
• Vulnerability Type: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
• CVE Identifier: CVE-2025-14795
• Impact: Low integrity risk — unauthorized additions to the email allowlist.
• Attack Vector: Remote; requires a privileged logged-in user to visit a malicious website.
• CVSS v3.1 Score: 4.3 (Low)
• Resolution: Update to Stop Spammers version 2026.2 or later.
• Interim Mitigations: Use WAF/virtual patches, restrict wp-admin access by IP, enable 2FA, or temporarily disable the plugin.

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Understanding CSRF and Its Significance for WordPress Plugins

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) occurs when attackers exploit the trust a website places on a user’s browser by tricking an authenticated user into inadvertently submitting malicious requests. If a site does not verify request origins or use anti-CSRF tokens (nonces), attackers can execute privileged actions with the user’s permissions without their awareness.

In WordPress plugins, especially those handling administrative settings like email allowlists, CSRF vulnerabilities can enable attackers to manipulate configurations surreptitiously, potentially weakening your site’s defenses against spam or malicious registrations.

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Technical Overview: How the Stop Spammers CSRF Vulnerability Operates

The vulnerability allows attackers to submit crafted HTTP POST requests to the Stop Spammers plugin’s administrative endpoint, adding email addresses into the allowlist without proper nonce verification. This means that if an administrator visits a malicious webpage while logged in, the attacker’s payload executes using the admin’s privileges.

Key Takeaways:

• No attacker authentication to the WordPress site is required.
• An authenticated, privileged user must visit a malicious webpage (user interaction is mandatory).
• The attacker can manipulate allowlist entries, potentially bypassing spam and registration protections.

Note: This vulnerability targets configuration integrity rather than executing arbitrary code. However, compromised allowlists can significantly degrade site security and open doors to further attacks.

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Real-World Attack Scenarios and Potential Impact

Attackers exploiting this flaw might:

1. Add malicious or spammer email addresses to your allowlist: Facilitates spam or malicious registrations bypassing plugin filters.
2. Weaken protection by undermining the allowlist feature: Allows harmful content to bypass controls or reduces scrutiny level.
3. Combine with other vulnerabilities or social engineering: Enables privilege escalation or phishing campaigns.
4. Target high-value or multi-admin sites: Risks increase with multiple privileged users visiting unsafe external content.

Even though the flaw’s direct damage is limited to configuration changes, it can be abused as a stepping stone for broader attacks.

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Detecting Potential Exploitation on Your Site

Take these steps immediately if you suspect your site has been targeted:

1. Confirm Plugin Version: In your WordPress admin dashboard, ensure Stop Spammers is updated to version 2026.2 or newer.
2. Review Allowlist Entries: Check for unfamiliar email addresses added to the plugin’s allowlist.
3. Audit Admin Activity: Look through audit logs (if enabled) or check user activity times for suspicious actions.
4. Examine Server Logs: Search for POST requests targeting plugin admin endpoints with allowlist-related parameters, especially those coming from external referrers.
5. Run Comprehensive Scans: Perform malware and integrity scans on your site files and database for anomalies.

If you identify unauthorized changes, prioritize remediation immediately.

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Immediate Remediation Steps

1. Update Immediately: Upgrade Stop Spammers to version 2026.2 or later without delay.
2. Temporary Mitigations if Update is Delayed:
   • Deactivate the plugin temporarily.
   • Restrict admin dashboard access by IP address.
   • Deploy WAF or virtual patch rules to block malicious POST requests.
   • Advise all admins against visiting unknown or suspicious websites while logged in.
3. Enforce Strong Access Controls:
   • Limit administrator roles to essential users only.
   • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all privileged accounts.
   • Rotate credentials if there is any suspicion of exposure.
4. Backup and Scan:
   • Create a full backup of your site files and database before taking further action.
   • Run malware scans and integrity checks for possible compromises.
5. Monitor Post-Update: Keep an eye on logs and allowlist entries for signs of repeated exploitation.

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Example Firewall Rules to Immediately Reduce Risk

If your site uses a Web Application Firewall (WAF), consider immediate temporary rules to block exploit attempts targeting this vulnerability. Customize these examples according to your site’s configuration before deploying.

ModSecurity Rule Example

SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "POST" "chain,deny,log,status:403,msg:'Blocked potential Stop Spammers CSRF - allowlist POST'"
  SecRule REQUEST_URI "@rx /wp-admin/(admin-ajax\.php|admin\.php)" "chain"
  SecRule REQUEST_BODY "@rx (allowlist|allow_list|ss_allowlist|email_allowlist|add_allowlist|allow_email)" "t:none,chain"
  SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Referer "!@contains example.com/wp-admin" "t:none"

• Replace example.com with your actual domain.
• Adapt parameter regexes according to plugin parameters if known.
• Test on staging before production deployment.

Nginx Location & Deny Example

location ~* /wp-admin/(admin-ajax\.php|admin\.php)$ {
    if ($request_method = POST) {
        if ($http_referer !~* "^https?://(www\.)?example\.com") {
            return 403;
        }
    }
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
}

• This blocks all POST requests to admin endpoints that do not originate from your domain.
• May impact legitimate integrations; validate comprehensively.

Managed WAF Pattern Recommendation

Request your managed firewall provider to deploy virtual patches that:

• Block POST requests with allowlist-related parameters to wp-admin endpoints.
• Reject requests with missing or invalid WordPress nonces or suspicious referrers.

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Long-Term Security Hardening and Best Practices

1. Maintain Timely Updates: Always keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins current.
2. Minimize Admin Users: Use least privilege principals and restrict administrator roles appropriately.
3. Employ Multi-Factor Authentication: Enforce 2FA to strengthen account security.
4. Enable Auditing and Logging: Monitor changes and access patterns to detect suspicious activities early.
5. Limit Admin Access: Use IP allowlisting, VPNs, or staged access to reduce exposure.
6. Implement WAF/Virutal Patching: Protect your site proactively against known and emerging vulnerabilities.
7. Regular Backups and Recovery Plans: Maintain backups and test restore workflows for incident preparedness.
8. Prepare Incident Response Processes: Define notification, isolation, and remediation strategies.

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How Managed-WP Protects Your WordPress Sites

Managed-WP offers comprehensive security solutions designed to safeguard your WordPress site even when plugins are vulnerable:

• Managed Web Application Firewall (WAF) & Virtual Patching: Immediate targeted rules block exploit attempts, reducing risk while you update.
• Continuous Malware Scanning & Integrity Checks: Detect unauthorized changes and suspicious entries promptly.
• OWASP Top 10 Protections: Broad defenses against common web threats, including CSRF.
• Tiered Support & Incident Response: From automated patches to concierge remediation and security advice.

Managed-WP equips you with the tools and expertise to maintain a robust security posture — no gaps, no guesswork.

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Actionable Security Checklist for Site Owners

1. Immediately update the Stop Spammers plugin to version 2026.2 or newer.
2. Verify plugin update success and review allowlist and related settings carefully.
3. Instruct all admins to log out/log in again to refresh sessions and enable 2FA if not already active.
4. Audit server and application logs for suspicious POST requests targeting plugin endpoints.
5. Run full malware and integrity scans across files and database.
6. If update delay is unavoidable:
   • Deploy WAF rules blocking suspicious POSTs to the plugin’s admin pages.
   • Consider temporarily disabling the plugin to halt exploit exposure.
7. Restrict wp-admin/dashboard access by IP where possible.
8. Maintain regular backups and have an incident response plan ready.

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Importance of Public Security Advisories and Responsible Disclosure

Public vulnerability disclosures and CVE entries drive coordinated defensive action across security vendors, hosts, and site administrators. The CVE-2025-14795 listing catalyzed timely plugin updates and WAF rule creation. As defenders, our role is to convert technical advisories into pragmatic, prioritized steps — like those outlined here.

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Detection Queries & Tools for WordPress Administrators

Use these queries carefully after backing up your database to investigate suspicious allowlist modifications:

Sample MySQL query:

SELECT option_name, option_value
FROM wp_options
WHERE option_name LIKE '%stop_spam%' OR option_value LIKE '%allowlist%' LIMIT 50;

If the plugin uses custom tables, examine these for recent entries and audit any unexpected additions.

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Responsible Vulnerability Disclosure Practices

As a trusted security provider, Managed-WP refrains from publishing full exploit code to prevent unnecessary abuse and allow administrators time to patch effectively. Researchers discovering new information should notify plugin authors privately and practice coordinated disclosure.

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Protect Your WordPress Site Now with Managed-WP Basic (Free) Plan

Managed-WP’s Basic plan offers essential, always-on firewall protection designed to block common exploit vectors, including CSRF attack attempts targeting admin endpoints. This baseline coverage helps shield your site immediately while you manage plugin and core updates.

Sign up here: https://my.wp-firewall.com/buy/wp-firewall-free-plan/

For enhanced automation and support, our Standard and Pro plans provide advanced malware removal, IP management, virtual patching, and dedicated security services tailored to your needs.

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Final Thoughts: Prevent Configuration Weakness from Becoming a Security Hole

This CSRF vulnerability in Stop Spammers underscores that configuration features such as allowlists are valuable attack vectors. To maintain security:

• Limit installed plugins to essentials and keep them updated without delay.
• Apply rigorous access controls, logging, and two-factor authentication.
• Deploy layered defenses including firewalls, scanning, and incident response planning.
• For high-value or multi-site environments, automate updates, monitor continuously, and enforce strict account hygiene.

If you require expert assistance with rapid patching, virtual patching, or forensic log analysis, Managed-WP’s security team is here to help.

Stay vigilant and patch early.
— Managed-WP Security Team

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References and Additional Resources

• CVE-2025-14795 (Public Vulnerability Entry)
• Stop Spammers Plugin Update: Version 2026.2 (Available via WordPress Admin)
• Best Practices for WordPress Security: Least Privilege, Two-Factor Authentication, Monitoring, and Backups

For help applying WAF rules or auditing your site for suspicious changes related to this vulnerability, contact Managed-WP Support directly through your dashboard.

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