Plugin-navn	FunKItools
Type of Vulnerability	CSRF
CVE Number	CVE-2025-10301
Hastighed	Lav
CVE Publish Date	2025-10-15
Source URL	CVE-2025-10301

FunKItools <= 1.0.2 — CSRF to Settings Update (CVE-2025-10301)

As a WordPress security team responsible for protecting thousands of sites, we at WP-Firewall treat every disclosure seriously — even when the reported CVSS number is “low.” On 15 October 2025 a public advisory (CVE-2025-10301) documented a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the FunKItools plugin (versions <= 1.0.2) that can be used to update plugin settings. The vendor has not published an official fix at the time of this writing.

This post explains what this vulnerability means in practice, how attackers could exploit it, how to detect whether your site is affected, and practical mitigations you can apply immediately — including how our managed firewall can protect you while a patch is not available.

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TL;DR (for site owners who want the short version)

• What: FunKItools <= 1.0.2 contains a CSRF vulnerability that allows changing plugin settings without proper request verification (CVE-2025-10301).
• Indvirkning: Low severity (CVSS 4.3) by industry scoring — but still potentially useful if settings changes enable other attacks or weaken protections.
• Exploitation: An attacker lures an authenticated admin (or a privileged user the plugin trusts) to a malicious page which then triggers requests that update the plugin’s configuration.
• Immediate options: Remove or disable the plugin, restrict administration access, enforce 2FA, and apply WAF rules / virtual patching (available immediately via WP-Firewall).
• Long term: Plugin author should add capability checks and verify nonces on any request that modifies settings (and move sensitive operations to REST with permission callbacks).
• If you run the affected plugin and want instant protection, sign up for the free WP-Firewall plan — we can deploy virtual mitigations while you plan the remediation.

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What is CSRF and why it matters here?

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is an attack where a user who is authenticated to a site (for example, a WordPress admin) is tricked into performing actions they did not intend to perform. The attacker hosts a malicious page that, when visited by the victim, causes the victim’s browser to send requests to the trusted site using the victim’s credentials (cookies/session). If the targeted endpoint does not verify that the request originated from a legitimate source — for example by checking a nonce or a referer and validating user capabilities — the attacker can make the site perform state-changing actions on behalf of the user.

In the FunKItools report, the vulnerability allows updating plugin settings without adequate request verification. Depending on what settings can be changed, an attacker could:

• Disable security features.
• Redirect data, change output, or enable debug modes.
• Change callback URLs or tokens used for integrations.
• Seed configuration that later facilitates a privilege escalation or data exposure.

Although the CVSS score is relatively low, the real-world impact depends entirely on which settings the plugin exposes. Even small configuration changes, when chained with other flaws, can lead to full site compromise.

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How this particular vulnerability typically happens (technical root cause)

Based on the public advisory and common patterns in WordPress plugins, the likely technical root cause is one or more of the following:

• Missing or incorrect use of WordPress nonces (wp_verify_nonce / check_admin_referer) when processing settings forms or AJAX endpoints.
• Settings update endpoints accessible via admin-ajax.php or admin-post.php without verifying both nonce and current_user_can capability checks (e.g., current_user_can(‘manage_options’)).
• Use of GET requests to perform state-changing operations, which are easier to CSRF.
• Absence of a permission_callback for REST endpoints if the plugin exposes settings via the REST API.

A typical vulnerable flow looks like:

1. Plugin exposes a URL such as admin-post.php?action=funkitools_save or an AJAX action funkitools_update that updates options directly using update_option().
2. The handler accepts POST or GET parameters and performs update_option() without calling check_admin_referer() and without verifying current_user_can().
3. An attacker crafts a malicious page that auto-submits a form (or makes a JS fetch/XHR) to that endpoint. If an admin visits the page, the browser includes the admin’s cookies and the update executes in the context of the admin.

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Exploitation scenarios — what an attacker can achieve

The exact impact depends on the plugin’s settings. Below are realistic scenarios:

• If the plugin controls display of content or injects scripts, the attacker could enable a malicious script or change the source of external scripts — leading to XSS or credential theft.
• If the plugin stores API tokens, the attacker could overwrite them to exfiltrate data or route data to an attacker-controlled endpoint.
• If the plugin has any functionality that affects authentication, redirection, or admin notifications, manipulating those settings could create persistent backdoors.
• If the plugin is used as part of a chain (e.g., it writes config files or supports plugins that read its settings), the attacker may use this as a pivot point.

Even if the plugin’s settings appear innocuous, an attacker’s ability to change configuration is an escalation in their toolbox. We’ve seen many incidents where minor configuration changes led to persistent compromise when combined with poor patching or weak credentials.

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Who is at risk?

• Sites that have FunKItools installed and activated (<= 1.0.2).
• Sites where at least one privileged user (administrator/editor if plugin trusts that role) can be tricked into visiting attacker-controlled pages.
• Sites without additional administrative protections (2FA, IP restrictions, or WAF rules).

The public report lists “Required privilege: Unauthenticated” — this wording is sometimes used in advisory metadata to indicate the endpoint doesn’t perform correct capability checks. In practical terms, exploitation is still typically achieved when a privileged user’s browser is used for the request, so hardening privileged accounts reduces risk.

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Detection: how to check whether you’re affected

1. Identify plugin and version:
   • In WordPress admin → Plugins, verify FunKItools is installed and if the version is <= 1.0.2.
   • If you manage many sites, search via WP-CLI: wp plugin list --status=active --format=json and filter.
2. Inspect the plugin files (quick signals):
   • Search for calls to update_option(), update_site_option(), or direct database writes in files that are hooked to admin-post.php, admin_init, eller admin-ajax.php.
   • Check whether form handlers call check_admin_referer(), wp_verify_nonce(), and whether they verify current_user_can('manage_options') or similar capabilities.
3. Check access logs for suspicious POST/GET requests:
   • Look for POSTs to admin-post.php?action=funkitools_* eller admin-ajax.php with parameters referencing the plugin.
   • Identify requests that performed options update-related operations around times an admin was active.
4. Scan for unexpected settings:
   • In the plugin’s settings page, review configuration entries for unexpected values (external URLs, tokens, toggled off security features).
5. Run a malware scanner / integrity check:
   • Compare current plugin files to the original plugin distribution (if available) to detect unauthorized changes.

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Immediate mitigation you should apply now

If you use the plugin and cannot immediately remove or update it, apply layered mitigations:

1. Temporarily deactivate the plugin if you do not need it right now.
2. Restrict access to the WordPress admin:
   • Add IP allowlisting for wp-admin (server firewall or .htaccess) if you have static IP(s).
   • Enforce two-factor authentication (2FA) for all admin accounts.
   • Ensure all admin passwords are strong and rotate them if you suspect compromise.
3. Harden sessions:
   • Set short session lifetimes for administrators where possible.
   • Require re-authentication for sensitive actions.
4. Apply WAF / virtual patching:
   • Create a rule that blocks requests to the plugin’s settings endpoints (e.g., admin-post.php?action=funkitools_save og admin-ajax.php?action=funkitools_*), or block POST requests that attempt to update specific option names used by the plugin.
   • Disallow suspicious referer-less POSTs to those endpoints.
   • Implement a rule to require a valid nonce pattern present in the request body for known admin actions (virtual nonce enforcement).
5. Monitor and log:
   • Increase logging for wp-admin activities and endpoints related to the plugin.
   • Alert on settings changes to options keys owned by FunKItools.

If you prefer an immediate protective layer without editing code, use a web application firewall with virtual patching capability — this can stop exploitation attempts even before a vendor patch is released.

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How WP-Firewall protects you (short technical description)

At WP-Firewall we provide managed WAF rules and virtual patching engines that can:

• Block known exploit patterns for CVE-2025-10301 by filtering suspicious POST/GET requests to the plugin’s endpoints.
• Inspect request attributes and block requests lacking valid nonces or proper referer headers for admin actions.
• Rate-limit and deny automated exploit attempts and suspicious payloads targeting plugin settings endpoints.
• Provide logging and alerts when a blocked rule triggers, giving you incident visibility and forensic context.

Because this kind of vulnerability is an improper verification issue, a virtual patch that enforces required checks at the WAF layer (for example: block requests that modify plugin options unless they contain a valid admin nonce or come from approved IPs) can neutralize attacks while you wait for a proper code fix.

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Fix recommendations for plugin authors (best practice checklist)

If you are a plugin developer or responsible for maintaining theme/plugin code, fix this class of bug by following these standards:

1. Verify capabilities before making changes:
   • Any settings update should check current_user_can('manage_options') (or the minimal capability appropriate to the operation).
   • Do not rely on the presence of a logged-in user only; verify the role/capability.
2. Require and verify nonces for POST actions:
   • For classic admin-post.php handlers: use check_admin_referer('your_action_nonce_name').
   • For AJAX handlers: use check_ajax_referer('your_action_nonce_name', 'security', true).
   • For REST API endpoints: use the permission_callback to verify capability and intent.
3. Use POST for state changes and avoid GET for side-effects:
   • RESTful practice: GET is read-only; use POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE for modifications and enforce CSRF protection accordingly.
4. Sanitize and validate inputs:
   • Bruge sanitize_text_field(), sanitize_email(), esc_url_raw(), intval() etc., based on expected types.
   • Validate values against allowed lists (e.g., only enable certain toggles if they are expected).
5. Escaping for output:
   • Properly escape settings on output using esc_html(), esc_attr(), esc_url()osv.
6. Principle of least privilege in UIs:
   • Hide admin UI links to sensitive actions from users who lack permissions.
   • Don’t assume admin-ajax.php or other general endpoints will be used only by privileged users.
7. Add logging for sensitive changes:
   • When settings are changed, consider logging the change and notifying site owners (email or dashboard logs).
8. Supply upgrade guidance:
   • When releasing a patch, provide clear upgrade instructions and a changelog that references security fixes.

A minimal secure pattern for a settings handler (classic form) is:

if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
    wp_die( __( 'Insufficient permissions', 'your-plugin-textdomain' ) );
}
check_admin_referer( 'funkitools_save_settings_action' );
// sanitize and update settings...
update_option( 'funkitools_some_setting', sanitize_text_field( $_POST['some_setting'] ) );

And for REST endpoints:

register_rest_route( 'funkitools/v1', '/settings', array(
    'methods'  => 'POST',
    'callback' => 'funkitools_save_settings',
    'permission_callback' => function( $request ) {
        return current_user_can( 'manage_options' );
    },
) );

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Incident response checklist (if you think you were targeted)

1. Immediately deactivate FunKItools until a fix is available.
2. Rotate administrator passwords and revoke active sessions after forcing password reset.
3. Check for unauthorized changes:
   • Review plugin settings and recent updates to options in the database (wp_options).
   • Look for unknown cron jobs, admin users, or scheduled tasks.
4. Review access logs for suspicious requests to admin-ajax.php, admin-post.php, or custom plugin endpoints.
5. Run full malware and integrity scans for uncommon files or changed core/plugin files.
6. If you find evidence of compromise, isolate the site (take it offline or restrict access) and engage professional incident response. Restore from clean backups if necessary.
7. After cleanup, re-enable and re-assess the plugin only after a secure fix is deployed or after virtual patching is applied.

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Hardening steps you should implement now (beyond fixing the plugin)

• Enforce Two-Factor Authentication for all administrator accounts.
• Limit the number of administrator accounts. Use role separation and create dedicated operator accounts with limited privileges when possible.
• Use strong passwords, password expiry policies, and a centralized SSO where appropriate.
• Remove unused plugins and themes. Every installed piece of code is a potential risk.
• Keep WordPress core, themes and plugins updated and test updates in a staging environment.
• Apply principle of least privilege for database and file system access.
• Make regular backups and ensure the backup retention strategy is adequate.

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Why a “low” severity score doesn’t mean “ignore”

CVE scoring is a useful baseline, but it doesn’t capture context. On numerous occasions we’ve seen vulnerabilities with low CVSS scores lead to serious incidents because they were the easiest way into a site (an unprotected configuration endpoint), or because attackers chained multiple small flaws together. Treat configuration-changing vulnerabilities with caution — especially those that interact with authentication, remote integrations, or script injection.

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Practical WAF rule examples (for operators)

If you operate a WAF and want to implement short-term rules to block exploitation attempts for this class of plugin bug, consider rules that:

1. Block GET and unauthenticated POST requests to admin AJAX/action endpoints used by the plugin unless they contain a valid nonce signature pattern.
2. Block POSTs to admin-post.php?action=funkitools_* og admin-ajax.php?action=funkitools_* from external sites (requests where the Referer header is missing or not your domain).
3. Deny changes to known plugin option names unless the request originates from the admin dashboard or an approved IP.
4. Throttle repeated attempts to the same endpoint and alert on spikes.

Be careful: overly strict rules can break legitimate integrations. Test rules on staging sites first and add logging before full blocking where possible.

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Communicating risk to site stakeholders

When you brief site owners or non-technical stakeholders, explain:

• There is an unpatched vulnerability that allows settings of a plugin to be changed by tricking a privileged user.
• The vendor has not yet released a patch (as of this advisory).
• The immediate risk can be reduced by disabling the plugin or applying firewall mitigations.
• We recommend taking action now because attackers often scan for and weaponize these disclosures quickly.

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Signup paragraph — try WP-Firewall Basic (Free) plan

Secure today with WP-Firewall’s free protection tier

If you want an immediate safety net while you evaluate and remediate the FunKItools issue, sign up for WP-Firewall’s Basic (Free) plan at https://my.wp-firewall.com/buy/wp-firewall-free-plan/. The free tier gives essential, managed protection: our web application firewall (WAF), malware scanner, automatic mitigation against OWASP Top 10 risks, and unlimited bandwidth — all designed to stop exploit attempts like CSRF-based setting modifications before they can reach your site. Upgrading later is seamless if you want automatic malware removal, IP blacklisting/whitelisting, scheduled reports, or virtual patching options.

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Final recommendations — an action checklist you can follow now

1. Inventory: Confirm whether FunKItools exists and identify the version.
2. Short-term risk reduction:
   • Deactivate the plugin if not required immediately.
   • Enforce 2FA and rotate admin passwords.
3. Apply WAF / virtual patching:
   • Immediately block requests that attempt to change plugin options or target known plugin endpoints.
4. Monitor and audit:
   • Enable alerts for configuration changes and review recent activity logs.
5. If you must keep the plugin active:
   • Restrict access to admin by IP, enforce re-authentication, and minimize admin sessions.
6. Track official updates:
   • Watch for a vendor patch and apply it as soon as it is released.
7. Follow-up:
   • After patching, re-scan the site for indicators of compromise and keep logs for at least 90 days for forensic use.

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Closing thoughts

Vulnerabilities that allow configuration changes are insidious: they don’t always cause immediate visible damage, but they can undermine protections and open opportunities for other attacks. The right approach is layered: remove or patch vulnerable code where possible, limit exposure with administrative hardening, and deploy WAF/virtual patches to stop exploit attempts in transit.

If you run FunKItools or manage multiple client sites, take action now to reduce risk. If you’d like an immediate protective layer while you coordinate remediation, the free WP-Firewall Basic plan can be a quick and effective stop-gap. We’re available to help you assess, mitigate, and monitor until a full fix is applied.

If you want help implementing the technical mitigations, crafting WAF rules specific to your environment, or performing a post-incident audit, reach out to our security team — we build and tune protections every day for WordPress sites of all sizes.