اسم البرنامج الإضافي	إدارة الكنيسة
Type of Vulnerability	نظام التحكم في الوصول مكسور
CVE Number	CVE-2025-57896
الاستعجال	قليل
CVE Publish Date	2025-08-22
Source URL	CVE-2025-57896

Church Admin plugin (<= 5.0.26) — Broken Access Control (CVE-2025-57896): What site owners must do now

2025-08-22 | WP‑Firewall Security Team

TL;DR

A broken access control vulnerability affecting Church Admin plugin versions <= 5.0.26 (tracked as CVE-2025-57896) allows unauthenticated requests to perform actions that should require higher privileges. The issue was fixed in version 5.0.27. Risk is rated low/medium (CVSS 5.3) but unauthenticated exposure means sites running the vulnerable plugin should act quickly:

• Update Church Admin to 5.0.27 or later immediately.
• If you cannot update right away, apply short-term mitigations (disable the plugin, restrict access to plugin endpoints, or deploy WAF rules).
• Scan for compromise indicators and follow an incident response checklist.
• Use virtual patching / managed firewall protections to block exploit attempts until the update is applied.

This article explains the vulnerability, exploitation scenarios, detection, immediate and long-term mitigations, sample WAF / server rules you can apply now, and an incident response plan — written from practical WordPress security operations experience.

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Overview of the issue

What happened

• A broken access control vulnerability was disclosed for the Church Admin plugin for WordPress affecting all releases up to and including 5.0.26.
• The vulnerability permits unauthenticated actors to invoke functionality that should be restricted to authenticated or privileged users.
• The vendor released a fix in version 5.0.27. The issue is tracked as CVE-2025-57896 and was publicly disclosed in August 2025.

Why this matters

• Broken access control often arises when a plugin exposes a REST endpoint, AJAX action, or admin page and does not verify the caller’s capability, authentication state, or nonce.
• Even with a “low” CVSS score, the fact that the attack surface is unauthenticated increases the opportunity for mass automated scanning and exploitation by opportunistic attackers.

Who is affected

• Any WordPress site that has the Church Admin plugin installed and running version 5.0.26 or earlier.
• Sites where the plugin is installed but not actively used may still be exposed if plugin endpoints are accessible.

Fixed version

• Upgrade to Church Admin 5.0.27 or later to remove the vulnerability.

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Technical summary (non‑vendor, practical)

Vulnerability class

• Broken access control: missing or insufficient authorization or authentication checks on plugin code paths.
• Often manifests as:
  • Missing capability checks (e.g., not using current_user_can())
  • Missing authentication checks for REST or admin-ajax endpoints
  • Missing nonce verification for state-changing actions

Exploitation vector (likely)

• Unauthenticated HTTP requests against plugin endpoints (admin-ajax.php actions, REST API endpoints, direct plugin files) that perform privileged operations.
• Automated scanners can identify plugin presence and probe known endpoints.

تأثير

• Depending on which operations lack checks, potential outcomes include:
  • Unauthorized modification of plugin-managed data (events, people records, settings)
  • Creation/modification of entries in the database
  • Disclosure of sensitive data
  • As a pivot used to plant malicious payloads or create admin accounts (if additional flaws exist)
• The published CVSS score is 5.3 — the vulnerability is meaningful but not a guaranteed full site takeover without further chaining.

Note on classifications

• On disclosure this issue was referenced under a broader OWASP classification; regardless of label, the practical focus is: unauthenticated access to privileged functionality.

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Immediate actions (first 6–24 hours)

1. Update the plugin
   • The vendor fixed the issue in Church Admin 5.0.27. Update all impacted sites immediately and verify the plugin version.
   • If you manage many sites, schedule the update across your fleet and prioritize sites exposed to public traffic.
2. If you cannot update right now — apply one of these temporary mitigations:
   • Disable the plugin until you can safely update.
   • Restrict public access to the plugin directory and known endpoints using web server rules (examples below).
   • Deploy WAF rules (managed or hosted) that block requests matching plugin paths, suspicious parameters, or unauthenticated access patterns.
3. Block or rate-limit unauthenticated access to admin-ajax and REST API endpoints where possible:
   • Rate limiting reduces automated scanning and exploitation.
   • Where functionality isn’t required for unauthenticated users, block access entirely.
4. Scan and monitor for signs of exploitation:
   • Check authentication logs, web server access logs, and WordPress activity logs for unusual requests to plugin paths or admin-ajax.php with unusual action parameters.
   • Look for new admin users, changes to database tables related to the plugin, scheduled tasks, or unexpected file changes.

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Useful server / WAF rules you can apply right now

Below are practical examples you can adapt. Test rules on a staging site first and tune to avoid blocking legitimate traffic.

Important: These rules are defensive, intended to temporarily mitigate exploitation until you can update the plugin. Replace plugin-specific patterns if you identify the exact vulnerable endpoint names.

Apache (.htaccess) — block direct access to plugin files for unauthenticated users

# Prevent direct access to Church Admin plugin files (temporary)
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On

  # Deny requests to plugin files unless from admin IP(s)
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/wp-content/plugins/church-admin [NC]
  # Allow from trusted admin IP (replace with your IP)
  RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} !^203\.0\.113\.45$
  RewriteRule ^ - [F,L]
</IfModule>

Nginx — deny or return 403 for plugin folder for public IPs (replace admin IP as needed)

location ~* /wp-content/plugins/church-admin/ {
    allow 203.0.113.45;  # replace with your admin IP
    deny all;
    return 403;
}

Generic ModSecurity (OWASP CRS style) — block suspicious requests to admin-ajax.php when action parameter matches plugin patterns

SecRule REQUEST_FILENAME|REQUEST_URI "@rx (church-admin|churchadmin)" "id:1001001,phase:1,deny,log,status:403,msg:'Block possible Church Admin exploit - unauthenticated access',tag:'WP-Firewall,TemporaryMitigation'"
# Or block admin-ajax calls without WP login cookie
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains admin-ajax.php" "phase:1,chain,deny,log,status:403,id:1001002,msg:'Block admin-ajax unauthenticated calls related to Church Admin',tag:'WP-Firewall'"
  SecRule &REQUEST_HEADERS:Cookie "@eq 0"

Note: a stricter variant checks both action parameter values and absence of WordPress auth cookies.

WordPress-level PHP filter (temporary snippet)

If you cannot update or disable the plugin, add a temporary mu-plugin that prevents unauthenticated access to plugin hooks. This should be used with care and removed when the official plugin is updated.

Example mu-plugin (drop into wp-content/mu-plugins/00-block-church-admin.php)

<?php
// Temporary: block unauthenticated requests attempting to call Church Admin actions.
// Customize the $blocked_actions array when you know the action names.
add_action('admin_init', function() {
    if ( defined('DOING_AJAX') && DOING_AJAX ) {
        $action = isset($_REQUEST['action']) ? $_REQUEST['action'] : '';
        $blocked_actions = array('ca_export', 'ca_import', 'church_admin_action'); // example action names
        if ( in_array($action, $blocked_actions, true) && ! is_user_logged_in() ) {
            status_header(403);
            wp_die('Forbidden', 'Forbidden', array('response' => 403));
        }
    }
});

Warning: only use this temporarily and only after verifying which action names to block. Incorrect rules can break legitimate site features.

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How to detect whether you were targeted or exploited

Search logs and WordPress state for the following indicators:

• Web server access logs:
  • Repeated requests to /wp-content/plugins/church-admin/ paths
  • Requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or /wp-json/ endpoints with action parameters referencing church-admin
  • Requests from unknown or suspicious IP ranges, or spikes in traffic targeting plugin paths
• WordPress database & site changes:
  • Unexpected new admin users or users with elevated capabilities
  • New or altered data records that the plugin manages (people, events, settings)
  • Unauthorized changes to plugin settings or templates (if the plugin stores HTML)
  • New scheduled tasks (wp_options entries with cron jobs)
• Filesystem indicators:
  • New files inside wp-content/uploads, plugin directories, or wp-content/mu-plugins
  • Modified core or plugin files (compare to clean backups or vendor copies)
  • Presence of web shells or unfamiliar PHP files
• Behavior & UX:
  • Plugin features behaving oddly (missing data, corrupted entries)
  • Outbound network connections from the host initiated by PHP processes
  • Alerts from malware scanners or hosting provider

Recommended detection steps

• Export web server logs and run quick greps for “church-admin”, “admin-ajax.php” with suspicious actions, and for any POSTs to plugin paths.
• Check WordPress user accounts and recent activity in wp_users, wp_usermeta, and plugin-specific tables.
• Use file integrity checks (hash comparisons against known-good copies) and the WordPress file system modification timestamps.

If you find signs of compromise: isolate the site (put it in maintenance mode or restrict access), collect logs, and follow incident response steps below.

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Incident response checklist

If exploitation is suspected or confirmed:

1. Isolate and preserve
   • Temporarily take the site offline to prevent further damage.
   • Preserve full webserver logs, database dumps, and file system snapshots.
2. Contain
   • Disable the vulnerable plugin immediately.
   • Reset all WordPress admin user passwords and update any service credentials potentially impacted.
   • Revoke API keys and rotate credentials if the plugin had external integrations.
3. Eradicate
   • Remove backdoors and malicious files. Prefer a rebuild from clean backups if available.
   • Replace modified core/plugin/theme files with original copies from vendor sources.
   • Reinstall the patched plugin version (5.0.27 or greater) after confirming the site is clean.
4. Recover
   • Restore from a clean backup if necessary, then update core, themes, and plugins.
   • Harden access controls (enforce strong passwords, 2FA for admin accounts, limit login attempts).
5. Post-incident
   • Perform a thorough audit to confirm no footprint remains.
   • Review server-level logs for lateral movement or data exfiltration.
   • Document the incident and update playbooks and patching cadence.

If you need help with forensic analysis or cleanup and you do not have in-house capabilities, consider engaging experienced WordPress incident responders.

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Long-term remediation & secure coding guidance for plugin developers

For plugin maintainers and in-house developers, fixing the vulnerability properly requires:

1. Enforce capability checks
   • Use current_user_can() to verify the caller has the correct capability for any state-changing action.
   • Do not trust client-side indicators. Server-side checks are mandatory.
2. Verify nonces for requests that change state
   • Use wp_verify_nonce() on AJAX and form submissions to protect against CSRF.
   • Combine nonces with capability checks for robust protection.
3. Protect REST API endpoints
   • Use proper permission_callback on register_rest_route() to ensure only authorized users can run endpoints.
   • Avoid returning sensitive data to unauthenticated requests.
4. Principle of least privilege
   • Avoid exposing admin-level features via unauthenticated endpoints.
   • Separate read-only public endpoints from write operations and protect write operations.
5. Input validation and output escaping
   • Validate, sanitize, and escape all user input to prevent injection attacks and data corruption.
6. Testing & code review
   • Add automated tests to assert that endpoints require authentication and capabilities.
   • Include threat modeling and manual code reviews for any code paths that alter data.
7. Disclosure and patching process
   • Adopt a responsible disclosure process and publish fixed versions with clear upgrade instructions.

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Why a virtual patch / managed WAF is useful while you update

Even when a vendor supplies a fix quickly, many site owners delay updates (compatibility concerns, staging work, or simply downstream operational cadence). Virtual patching (a targeted WAF rule that blocks exploit traffic) buys critical time between disclosure and full deployment of the vendor patch.

Advantages:

• Immediate protection against known exploit patterns without touching site code.
• Centralized rule deployment for large fleets — update once and protect many sites.
• Ability to block exploit attempts that target unauthenticated plugin endpoints.

Limitations:

• Virtual patches are temporary and must not be treated as a substitute for official patches.
• They should be used in a defense-in-depth strategy alongside timely updates, backups, and monitoring.

If you run a managed firewall, ensure the vpatch covers:

• Requests to plugin directories, admin-ajax.php actions and REST endpoints related to the plugin.
• Suspicious payloads or parameter patterns disclosed publicly.

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Suggested detection rules (SIEM / log monitoring)

If you have a SIEM or central log store, add detection rules to alert on:

• Repeated POST requests to URIs matching /wp-content/plugins/church-admin/ or to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with unknown/blocked action parameters.
• High rate of requests with no WordPress auth cookies to admin-ajax.php or /wp-json/* endpoints.
• Unusual creation of users with administrator or editor roles.
• New files in plugin directories or mu-plugins outside your deploy process.
• Database writes to plugin-specific tables that occur without an authenticated user session.

A sample Elasticsearch/Kibana query for web logs:

• Filter: request_uri.keyword:(“/wp-content/plugins/church-admin/*” OR “/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php”)
• AND: http_method:(“POST” OR “GET”)
• AND: NOT request_headers.cookie:*wordpress_logged_in*
• Show top source IPs and repeated URIs.

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How to verify you fixed the issue

1. Confirm plugin version is 5.0.27 or later.
2. Re-run active scans (internal scanners or validated external services you trust).
3. Verify WAF logs show blocked exploitation attempts (if you used virtual patching).
4. Verify administrative functionality works and expected users can still perform tasks.
5. Conduct smoke tests for plugin features (forms, exports/imports, REST endpoints).
6. Continue monitoring logs for at least two weeks for late attempts or chained activity.

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Hardening checklist to reduce future risk

• Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins up-to-date with a tested update process.
• Use the principle of least privilege for all user accounts — grant only the capabilities required.
• Limit plugin installations to vetted, actively maintained projects.
• Enforce strong admin credentials and enable two-factor authentication.
• Use file integrity monitoring and regular backups (offline copies).
• Implement rate-limiting and bot protection for sensitive endpoints.
• Maintain centralized logging and alerts for suspicious changes.

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Sample message you can share with clients or site editors

If you manage sites for clients, here is a short suggested message you can adapt:

“We identified a security vulnerability in the Church Admin plugin (versions ≤5.0.26) that could allow unauthenticated actors to perform privileged actions. We have updated (or will update) affected sites to the patched version 5.0.27 and added temporary protections. No evidence of exploitation has been found (or: we have detected suspicious activity and are responding). We recommend you do not attempt updates from your dashboard during our maintenance window. Please contact us if you notice unexpected site behavior.”

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Final notes and recommended next steps (quick checklist)

• Update Church Admin to 5.0.27 or later on all affected sites as your highest priority.
• If you cannot update immediately: disable the plugin, restrict access to plugin endpoints, or deploy WAF rules.
• Scan logs and system state for signs of exploitation and follow the incident response checklist if you find indicators.
• Deploy virtual patching / managed firewall rules to protect exposed surfaces until updates are in place.
• Review plugin and site hardening best practices to reduce future risk.

If you’d like hands-on help — from rule creation to incident response and virtual patch deployment — the WP‑Firewall team can assist with rule tuning, log analysis, and remediation guidance to get your sites secure quickly.

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References & resources

• CVE-2025-57896 — vulnerability affecting Church Admin plugin (disclosed August 2025)
• WordPress developer docs: current_user_can(), wp_verify_nonce(), and register_rest_route() permission_callback
• OWASP Top 10 — guidance on access control and injection risks

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