Full Report
Vulnerability in PayU CommercePro plugin allows account hijacking on thousands of WordPress sites
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: PayU CommercePro Plugin Unauthenticated Account Takeover
## CVE Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-31022
- CVSS Score: Not explicitly provided, but the description suggests High/Critical risk due to account takeover.
- CWE: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) or CWE-863 (Missing Authentication) likely applies due to the lack of identity verification during critical API calls.
## Affected Systems
- Products: PayU CommercePro WordPress Plugin
- Versions: Version 3.8.5 and potentially earlier versions.
- Configurations: Any WordPress site utilizing the vulnerable plugin version.
## Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability resides in the `/payu/v1/get-shipping-cost` API route within the PayU CommercePro plugin (version 3.8.5). The vulnerable `update_cart_data()` function accepts user IDs and attempts to set session data without properly verifying the identity of the requester.
An attacker can exploit this by first obtaining a session token via the `/payu/v1/generate-user-token` endpoint, which appears to trust tokens generated using a hardcoded email address (`[email protected]`). Once the attacker has a valid token, they can send a malicious request to the shipping cost API, specifying the email of a target user (including administrators), successfully hijacking that user's account session due to the failure to validate user identity before updating cart/session data.
## Exploitation
- Status: Likely exploited/High risk, as the mechanism is detailed.
- Complexity: Low to Medium. Requires chaining two API calls, one of which relies on a hardcoded trust indicator (email).
- Attack Vector: Network (Remote).
## Impact
- Confidentiality: High (Potential access to user data and site configuration if administrator account is compromised).
- Integrity: High (Ability to perform actions as any user, including site modification or data alteration).
- Availability: Medium (Potential for site disruption through administrative actions).
## Remediation
### Patches
- The article implies a patch is necessary but does not specify the fixed version number. Users must update the PayU CommercePro plugin to the latest version released after June 9, 2025, that addresses CVE-2025-31022.
### Workarounds
- Immediately disable or remove the PayU CommercePro plugin until an official patch is applied.
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block or restrict access to the `/payu/v1/get-shipping-cost` and `/payu/v1/generate-user-token` endpoints to only trusted IP addresses, if disabling is not possible.
## Detection
- Indicators of compromise: Unusual session activity logged for administrative or high-privilege accounts originating from unexpected network locations, particularly around API endpoint interactions for cart/shipping data.
- Detection methods and tools: Monitor web server access logs for requests to the API paths `/payu/v1/get-shipping-cost` and `/payu/v1/generate-user-token`. Look for requests originating externally that result in successful session changes for high-value users.
## References
- Vendor advisories: Not explicitly provided in detail, but the researcher Pascal Gluck from PatchStack discovered and reported the issue.
- Relevant links - defanged:
- infosecurity-magazine com/news/payu-plugin-flaw-wordpress-account/ (Primary source article)