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WordPress plugin auth bypass exploited almost immediately after disclosure
Just hours after a bug were disclosed, hackers started scanning for vulnerable instances.
- A bug in OttoKit allows threat actors to create new admin accounts
- The bug can lead to full website takeover
- More than 100,000 websites are at risk
Almost immediately after being disclosed to the public, a vulnerability in a WordPress plugin was used in an attack, security researchers have warned.
Earlier this week, security outfit Wordfence disclosed an authentication bypass in OttoKit, the all-in-one workflow authentication platform. The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-3102, and was given a severity score 8.1/10 (high).
It affects all versions of the plugin up to 1.0.78, and allows threat actors to create new administrator accounts without authentication. The accounts can then be used for full website takeover, posing immense risk for hundreds of thousands of WordPress-powered websites using this plugin. The WordPress website showed “100,000+ active installations."
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Hours to attack
The first clean version is 1.0.79 although at the moment, version 1.0.80 is available for download. Users are advised to upgrade their plugin to the newest version as soon as possible, especially since in-the-wild abuse was already observed.
According to Patchstack, the first attempts at exploiting the flaw were logged just “hours” after the flaw was disclosed, BleepingComputer reported.
“Attackers were quick to exploit this vulnerability, with the first recorded attempt occurring just four hours after it was added as a vPatch to our database,” reports Patchstack. “This swift exploitation highlights the critical need to apply patches or mitigations immediately upon the public disclosure of such vulnerabilities,” the researchers said.
To make matters worse, there is evidence pointing to the attacks being automated, meaning thousands of websites could quickly be compromised.
OttoKit is an all-in-one workflow automation platform designed to connect applications, services, and WordPress plugins. It allows users to automate repetitive tasks and streamline business processes. It was formerly known as SureTriggers, and supports integration with more than 1,000 apps.
WordPress’ plugins and themes are almost constantly being scanned for vulnerabilities. Website owners are advised to uninstall and disable all the ones they’re not using at any given moment, and keep the ones they do up to date.
Via BleepingComputer
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