Plugin Name	WordPress Simple Like Page Plugin
Type of Vulnerability	Broken Access Control
CVE Number	CVE-2025-63022
Urgency	Low
CVE Publish Date	2025-12-31
Source URL	CVE-2025-63022

Broken Access Control Vulnerability in “Simple Like Page” WordPress Plugin (≤ 1.5.3): Essential Insights and How to Protect Your Site

Author: Managed-WP Security Team
Date: 2025-12-31

Executive Summary

Security professionals have identified a broken access control vulnerability in the widely-used Simple Like Page WordPress plugin (versions ≤ 1.5.3), catalogued as CVE-2025-63022. This flaw permits unauthenticated users to invoke privileged functionality, circumventing access restrictions. While the severity is rated low (CVSS 5.3), and no official patch currently exists, ignoring this vulnerability invites risks including data tampering, site integrity compromise, and use as a launchpad for further attacks.

This advisory from Managed-WP provides a comprehensive breakdown of the vulnerability, its repercussions, practical mitigation tactics, detection mechanisms, and developer remediation guidance. Furthermore, we outline how Managed-WP’s expert-managed Web Application Firewall (WAF) solutions can shield your site effectively until an official plugin update is available.

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Vulnerability Overview

• Plugin: Simple Like Page
• Affected Versions: ≤ 1.5.3
• Vulnerability Type: Broken Access Control (OWASP Top 10 – A01)
• CVE ID: CVE-2025-63022
• Discovered By: Legion Hunter
• Disclosure Date: 2025-12-31
• Patch Status: No official fix available at disclosure

Broken access control means certain plugin functions are callable without verifying if the requester has the necessary authentication or permissions, exposing critical endpoints to potentially unauthorized manipulation.

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Why This Vulnerability is Significant

Broken access control issues differ in impact from minor data leaks to severe site compromises based on privilege exposure. In this case:

• Severity is low (CVSS 5.3), so immediate full compromise (e.g., remote code execution) is unlikely.
• Nonetheless, unauthenticated actors can modify plugin-managed data such as ‘like’ counters or configurations, posing reputational and integrity risks.
• An attacker could:
  • Distort public-facing counters or content controlled by the plugin.
  • Trigger unintended database writes or other side effects.
  • Use the flaw as an entry point within a coordinated attack chain.
• Even low-severity vulnerabilities pose amplified risk when targeted at scale by automated scanners.

Given the risk, site owners must prioritize mitigation and continuous monitoring.

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Attack Feasibility

• Authentication Required? No — the vulnerability can be exploited by unauthenticated users.
• Preconditions: Plugin installed and accessible on a public website.
• Exploit Complexity: Low — requires invoking insufficiently protected plugin endpoints.
• Public Exploit Code: None officially disclosed to prevent mass exploitation; practitioners should focus on detection and mitigation.

Because the vulnerable endpoints are public, automated widespread scanning and exploitation attempts are possible. Rapid defensive action is essential.

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Immediate Steps for Website Owners

1. Confirm if your site has the Simple Like Page plugin installed and determine the version.
2. If version ≤ 1.5.3:
   • Deactivate the plugin if functionality is non-essential.
   • If plugin use is critical, implement WAF virtual patching via Managed-WP or your preferred provider.
3. Restrict unnecessary public plugin endpoints, especially AJAX and admin paths.
4. Enforce strong administrator credentials and activate two-factor authentication (2FA).
5. Audit logs and monitor for suspicious activity related to the plugin.
6. Plan to upgrade once a vendor patch becomes available and validate post-update behavior thoroughly.

If compromise is suspected, follow incident response protocols detailed below without delay.

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Managed-WP’s Protective Measures While Waiting for Official Patch

At Managed-WP, we offer proactive WAF-based protections that mitigate this exact attack vector. Our approach includes:

• Virtual Patching: Rules blocking unauthenticated requests targeting critical plugin endpoints.
• Request Validation: Inspection and filtering of AJAX/REST calls to ensure presence of valid nonces and logged-in session cookies.
• Rate Limiting: Throttling repetitive plugin endpoint traffic indicative of automated probing or attack attempts.
• Bot Blocking: Leveraging IP reputation and behavioral analysis to block malicious scanners.
• File Integrity Monitoring: Alerting upon detection of unexpected plugin file modifications.
• Active Monitoring & Response: Real-time alerts and expert remediation guidance in case of detection.

Customers not yet on Managed-WP’s platform are encouraged to sign up for our essential free protection tier or explore paid plans to gain immediate and sustained defense.

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Configuring Your Own WAF or Hosting Firewall

For IT teams managing custom WAF solutions, implement the following safeguards aligned with this vulnerability:

1. Block unauthenticated POST and GET requests to plugin AJAX and admin endpoints.
2. Enforce WordPress nonce validation on all state-changing requests.
3. Rate-limit requests targeting plugin paths from the same IP to mitigate brute force or scanning.
4. Block requests with suspicious User-Agent headers or known scanner signatures.
5. Whitelist trusted administrative IPs when possible for sensitive endpoints.
6. Monitor and log blocked attempts to support forensic analysis.

Managed-WP can assist customers in deploying and tuning such rules effectively, minimizing risk with minimal operational overhead.

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Identifying Signs of Exploitation or Targeting

Search your logs and analytics for these suspicious indicators:

• Anonymous requests invoking plugin-specific AJAX actions or endpoints.
• Unusual or unauthorized POST activity to plugin paths.
• Unexpected changes to ‘like’ counters or plugin-managed content.
• Database records modified outside normal operational patterns.
• Spikes in HTTP 4xx or 5xx errors for plugin endpoints.
• Strange new options or transients in the WordPress database correlating to the plugin.
• Follow-on suspicious behavior such as unexpected user account creations or content edits.

If detected, immediately retain logs, backup the site, and initiate incident response procedures.

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Recommended Incident Response for Suspected Compromise

1. Isolate the affected website by taking it offline or enabling maintenance mode.
2. Preserve all relevant logs and site snapshots (filesystem and database).
3. Reset all administrative credentials and revoke potentially compromised accounts.
4. Scan the site with reputable WordPress malware detection tools, ideally including Managed-WP’s scanner.
5. Review plugin-related settings and database entries for anomalies.
6. Restore to a clean backup if integrity is in doubt.
7. Disable the vulnerable plugin until patched or properly mitigated.
8. Apply patches to WordPress core, themes, and other plugins as applicable.
9. Monitor logs continuously for further attack attempts and verify effectiveness of virtual patches or firewall rules.
10. Inform stakeholders and users promptly if data breach or impact occurs, in compliance with regulations.

Professional forensic assistance and security consultancy might be warranted for thorough cleanup and root cause analysis.

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Developer Best Practices to Remediate Broken Access Control

To fix such vulnerabilities, plugin developers should:

1. Implement the Principle of Least Privilege: Verify user capabilities precisely for each action, e.g., current_user_can('manage_options').
2. Use Nonce Protection: Require wp_create_nonce() and wp_verify_nonce() on all state-changing POST requests.
3. Secure REST API Endpoints: Use permission_callback in register_rest_route() to enforce capability checks.
4. Sanitize and Escape Data: Always sanitize input and escape output appropriately.
5. Avoid Using admin-ajax.php for Sensitive Write Actions: Ensure actions are authenticated and rate-limited if public.
6. Develop Unit Tests: Include tests ensuring unauthorized users cannot access privileged functions.
7. Apply Granular Capability Checks: Use action-appropriate permissions instead of broad checks like is_admin().

Example of permission-validated AJAX handler:

function slp_update_setting() {
    if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
        wp_send_json_error( [ 'message' => 'Unauthorized' ], 403 );
    }

    $nonce = isset( $_REQUEST['_wpnonce'] ) ? sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_REQUEST['_wpnonce'] ) ) : '';
    if ( ! wp_verify_nonce( $nonce, 'slp_update' ) ) {
        wp_send_json_error( [ 'message' => 'Invalid nonce' ], 403 );
    }

    $value = isset( $_POST['value'] ) ? sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $_POST['value'] ) ) : '';
    update_option( 'slp_setting', $value );

    wp_send_json_success( [ 'message' => 'OK' ] );
}
add_action( 'wp_ajax_slp_update_setting', 'slp_update_setting' );

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Guidance for Hosting Providers and Site Operators

• Maintain and regularly test backups to ensure swift recovery.
• Enforce least privilege for database and FTP/SFTP user accounts.
• Restrict plugin and theme installation permissions to trusted admins only.
• Apply secure file permissions to prevent unauthorized modifications.
• Implement monitoring and alerting for unusual changes such as new admin users or unexpected network connections.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: The vulnerability severity is labeled “low.” Should I still be concerned?
A: Absolutely. “Low” refers primarily to technical ratings; but from a business perspective, any vulnerability that is easily exploited at scale can lead to reputational damage, content tampering, or compromised user trust.

Q: Should I uninstall the plugin?
A: Deactivation and removal is safest if functionality is not critical. Otherwise, secure the site with virtual patches and monitoring until an official fix is issued.

Q: When will a patch be released?
A: No official patch has been released as of this advisory. Monitor the plugin’s official repository for updates and apply them immediately once available.

Q: Will Managed-WP fix the plugin code?
A: Managed-WP does not modify third-party plugins. Instead, we deploy virtual patches at the firewall layer to block exploit attempts, minimizing risk until the vendor provides a patch.

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Conceptual WAF Rule Example

Below is a sample conceptual rule to help outline the defensive logic. This should be adapted and tested according to your WAF’s syntax and environment:

• Deny requests where:
  • The request URI contains the plugin directory (/wp-content/plugins/simple-facebook-plugin/), and
  • The HTTP method is POST or otherwise modifies state, and
  • Neither a valid logged-in cookie nor a valid WordPress nonce header is present.
• Log and notify administrators on all blocked requests.

Managed-WP’s team can assist by deploying tailored WAF rules for your environment safely and efficiently.

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Final Thoughts: Layered Security is Essential

• Keep WordPress core, plugins, and themes updated diligently.
• Utilize managed WAF solutions capable of virtual patching vulnerabilities in real-time.
• Minimize publicly-exposed plugin endpoints to reduce attack surface.
• Follow secure coding practices: capability checks, nonces, permission callbacks, and input sanitization.
• Use each vulnerability disclosure as a chance to improve detection and response strategies.

If your environment uses Simple Like Page, we urge immediate review and application of the action checklist above. Reach out to Managed-WP to implement virtual patches and continuous safeguards now.

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Deploy Managed-WP’s free tier today to gain essential defenses including a managed firewall, application-level WAF, malware scanning, and filtering for OWASP Top 10 risks. Upgrade anytime to access advanced features like automatic malware removal, IP blacklisting, detailed reporting, and virtual patching.

Learn more and sign up: https://managed-wp.com/pricing

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References & Credits

• CVE-2025-63022 — Broken Access Control in Simple Like Page (Disclosed 2025-12-31)
• Security Researcher: Legion Hunter

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For any of the following services, Managed-WP Security Team is ready to assist you:

• Comprehensive site vulnerability scanning
• Deploying tailored virtual patching rules specific to this vulnerability
• Rapid health checks and incident response for suspicious or confirmed compromises

Contact Managed-WP support through your dashboard or sign up for a free plan to get started.

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