Unauthenticated settings modification via unchecked REST permission
Published May 7, 2025 · Updated Apr 8, 2026
Missing authorization in QuadLayers Search Exclude 2.4.9 and earlier allows remote attackers to alter search-exclusion settings. The get_rest_permission callback authorizes REST settings requests without checking a WordPress capability, allowing writes to the exclusion list. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the confirmed consequence is limited to hiding selected content from internal site searches.
Summary
What happened
Missing authorization in QuadLayers Search Exclude 2.4.9 and earlier allows remote attackers to alter search-exclusion settings. The get_rest_permission callback authorizes REST settings requests without checking a WordPress capability, allowing writes to the exclusion list. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the confirmed consequence is limited to hiding selected content from internal site searches.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-2821
- Published
- May 7, 2025
- Updated
- Apr 8, 2026
- Vendor
- Roman Pronskiy
- Product
- Search Exclude
- Classifications
- CWE-862, T1565.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 8, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=2.4.9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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