Urgent: IDonatePro (≤ 2.1.9) Broken Access Control (CVE-2025-30639) — What WordPress Site Owners Must Do Now

Published: 2025-08-10  |  Author: Hong Kong Security Expert Team

Update (08 Aug 2025): A high-severity broken access control vulnerability affecting the IDonatePro WordPress plugin (versions ≤ 2.1.9) has been publicly disclosed and is tracked as CVE-2025-30639. The issue permits unauthenticated attackers to perform actions that should require authorization. At the time of publication there is no vendor-released patch. Immediate mitigation is required.

As security practitioners based in Hong Kong with experience responding to web platform incidents, we provide focused, practical guidance you can apply now. This advisory explains the risk, who is affected, how attackers may exploit it, and—critically—what to do immediately to reduce exposure. The guidance avoids publishing exploit code and is safe to follow.

Executive summary (what you need to know right away)

• Vulnerability: Broken access control in IDonatePro (≤ 2.1.9), tracked as CVE-2025-30639.
• Required privilege: Unauthenticated — exploitation does not require login.
• Severity: High (reported CVSS ~7.5).
• Official fix: Not available at time of disclosure.
• Immediate mitigations: Remove or disable the plugin if possible; otherwise restrict access to the plugin’s endpoints at the server or WAF level, monitor logs, and prepare incident response procedures.
• If you suspect compromise, follow the incident response steps below without delay.

About the vulnerability in plain language

Broken access control means the plugin allows privileged actions without proper authorization checks. A researcher reports that an endpoint or action in IDonatePro does not verify authentication, capability checks, or nonces. Because the issue is exploitable without login, remote attackers can trigger actions that should be restricted.

Broken access control is especially dangerous: it bypasses the usual gatekeepers (logged-in status, current_user_can, nonces). Depending on the exposed functions, impact ranges from information disclosure to site takeover.

Research credit: Tran Nguyen Bao Khanh (VCI – VNPT Cyber Immunity). CVE-2025-30639.

Who is affected?

• Sites running IDonatePro version 2.1.9 or earlier.
• Sites with the plugin installed but not actively used — the presence of vulnerable code is sufficient for risk.
• Multisite networks where IDonatePro is active on any network site (attack surface varies by how the plugin registers endpoints).

Why this is urgent

• Exploitation requires no authentication.
• No vendor patch exists yet — exposure remains until fixed or mitigated.
• Simple to automate — mass exploitation is likely once proof-of-concept code or scanners appear.
• High CVSS reflects both impact and exploitability.

What attackers could do (potential impacts)

Exact impact depends on which functions are reachable without checks. Typical consequences of broken access control include:

• Triggering privileged plugin actions remotely (changing plugin options, creating or deleting plugin-managed content).
• Uploading or modifying files if file-handling endpoints are exposed.
• Inserting malicious configuration or redirect rules.
• Exposing sensitive plugin configuration (API keys, webhook URLs, secrets).
• Performing actions that facilitate account takeover or arbitrary code execution in chained attacks.

Immediate actions (priority order)

Follow these steps in order. The first ones are fastest to reduce risk.

1. Inventory and identify
   • Confirm which sites have IDonatePro installed and which version is active.
   • If you use managed hosting, ask your provider for a list of installations containing that plugin.
2. Disable or remove the plugin (recommended)
   • If the plugin is non-essential, deactivate and delete it from every affected site.
   • If you must retain functionality, consider a temporary, minimal custom implementation or a vetted alternative.
3. Apply access restrictions at server or application edge
   • If you cannot remove the plugin immediately, block or restrict requests to the plugin endpoints for unauthenticated users using server rules or a WAF.
   • Restrict access to plugin files and admin endpoints that should not be public.
4. Restrict access to plugin endpoints
   • Use nginx/Apache rules, IAM, or security plugin rules to limit access by IP, require authentication for specific URLs, or block dangerous request methods.
5. Scan and monitor
   • Run a full site malware scan and compare file hashes to known-good copies where available.
   • Monitor webserver and application logs for unusual POSTs, admin-ajax hits, or requests to plugin paths from unknown IPs.
6. Change credentials and secrets (if compromise suspected)
   • Rotate administrator passwords and any API keys or secrets stored in plugin settings.
   • Force logout for all users and reset sessions.
7. Prepare for incident response
   • If you detect compromise indicators, isolate affected sites and follow containment and recovery procedures (detailed below).

How to mitigate using firewall rules (virtual patching)

When an official patch is not available, blocking exploit attempts at the edge is the fastest way to reduce risk. Translate these defensive concepts into your WAF, CDN rules, or server configuration. These rules focus on reducing attack surface and avoid publishing exploit payloads.

Key concepts:

1. Block unauthenticated requests to plugin admin actions and AJAX endpoints

   Pattern: deny requests to plugin PHP files or AJAX actions if the request lacks a WordPress logged-in cookie or valid nonce.

   IF request.path matches /wp-content/plugins/idonatepro/.*\.php
   AND request.cookies does NOT include wordpress_logged_in_*
   THEN block request (403)

2. Require nonce/token for state-changing requests

   Pattern: enforce the presence and validity of WP nonces for POSTs that change data.

   IF request.method == POST
   AND request.path contains /idonatepro/
   AND request.POST does NOT contain _wpnonce
   THEN block request (403)

3. Rate limit and fingerprint probes

   Pattern: throttle bursts targeting plugin endpoints from a single IP or user agent.

   IF > X requests to /wp-content/plugins/idonatepro/ from same IP within Y seconds
   THEN temporarily block or throttle IP

4. Block suspicious user agents and payload characteristics

   Pattern: deny requests containing common scanner signatures, unusual headers, or suspicious parameter names.

5. Restrict access by admin IPs (where possible)

   Example nginx snippet (replace with your management IP range):

   location ~* /wp-content/plugins/idonatepro/ {
       allow 203.0.113.0/24;   # Replace with your admin IPs
       deny all;
   }

Caveat: Always test server and WAF rules in a staging environment first to avoid blocking legitimate traffic.

Detection: what to look for in your logs

• POST requests to files under /wp-content/plugins/idonatepro/ or to admin-ajax.php with parameters referencing the plugin.
• Requests targeting unexpected actions (for example, ?action=idonate_pro_update) from unknown IPs.
• Requests that omit wordpress_logged_in_* cookies when accessing admin-like endpoints.
• Spikes of 404/403 around plugin paths, or unusual user-agent strings.
• New or modified plugin files, added backdoors, unfamiliar admin users, or unexpected database entries.

If you suspect your site has been compromised

Act immediately and follow a conservative containment approach:

1. Put the site into maintenance mode or isolate it from public traffic.
2. Take a full offline backup of files and the database for forensic analysis.
3. Rotate all administrator passwords, API keys, and credentials; force reauthentication for users.
4. Scan for malware and indicators of compromise:
   • Search for new PHP files in uploads or plugin directories.
   • Check for modified core files, unknown cron jobs, and suspicious scheduled tasks.
   • Inspect wp_options for malicious entries (redirects, obfuscated code).
5. Remove the vulnerable plugin and any clearly malicious artifacts.
6. Rebuild from a clean backup if you cannot guarantee complete cleanup.
7. Perform root cause analysis to understand the initial access vector and remediate it.

Hardening recommendations to reduce similar risks

• Minimize plugins: install only actively maintained plugins with clear update histories.
• Apply the principle of least privilege: grant users only the capabilities they need.
• Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated; subscribe to vulnerability alerts.
• Use a well-configured WAF/CDN ruleset to provide virtual patching and anomaly detection.
• Enforce strong authentication: enable multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts.
• Harden file permissions: disable direct PHP execution in wp-content/uploads where feasible.
• For developers: always validate current_user_can, verify_wp_nonce, sanitize inputs, and use permission callbacks on REST routes.
• Regularly audit access logs and cron jobs for unexpected changes.

Advice for plugin developers (how this should be fixed)

If you maintain IDonatePro or similar plugins, prioritize an emergency patch. Key steps:

1. Enumerate all public endpoints and action handlers (admin-ajax hooks, REST routes, direct PHP files).
2. For each action that modifies state or exposes data:
   • Ensure appropriate capability checks (current_user_can).
   • Verify nonces where applicable (wp_verify_nonce).
   • For REST endpoints, use permission_callback to enforce permissions.
3. Avoid accepting unauthenticated requests for administrative actions; design secure flows for any anonymous interactions.
4. Sanitize and validate all input.
5. Publish a security advisory with mitigation steps and provide an update path for users.

Timeline & disclosure (public facts)

• Researcher: Tran Nguyen Bao Khanh (VCI – VNPT Cyber Immunity)
• Reported: early June 2025
• Public disclosure/alert: August 2025
• CVE: CVE-2025-30639
• Fixed version: N/A at time of writing

Enterprise & managed hosting checklist (for agencies and hosts)

• Identify and apply mitigations (remove or virtual-patch) across all client sites immediately.
• Mass-scan for presence of IDonatePro and notify affected customers with clear remediation steps.
• If you operate edge protections, deploy rules to block unauthenticated access to the plugin endpoints.
• Offer incident response to customers with elevated risk signals or indicators of compromise.
• Provide customers with a remediation timeline and post-incident verification.

Why virtual patching matters here

When an official vendor patch is not available, blocking exploit attempts at the edge (WAF/CDN/server rules) is the most practical immediate control. Virtual patching can:

• Block unauthenticated access to risky plugin endpoints.
• Throttle scanning and exploitation attempts.
• Provide early alerts for suspicious activity so operators can investigate.

Example: safe, non-destructive WAF rule set (conceptual)

The following templates are high-level and must be adapted to your environment. Test in detect mode before enforcing.

1) Block public access to plugin admin scripts:
  IF URI matches ^/wp-content/plugins/idonatepro/(admin|includes|controllers)/.*\.php$
  AND request does NOT contain wordpress_logged_in_* cookie
  THEN return 403

2) Enforce nonce for POSTs to plugin endpoints:
  IF Method == POST and URI contains /idonatepro/
  AND _wpnonce not present OR invalid
  THEN block 403

3) Rate limit probes:
  IF > 10 requests per minute to /wp-content/plugins/idonatepro/ from same IP
  THEN throttle or temporary block for 15 minutes

Frequently asked questions

Q: Should I wait for the vendor patch?
A: No. If IDonatePro is installed, take immediate action: deactivate/delete the plugin or apply edge restrictions. Waiting risks automated attacks.

Q: What if I rely on the plugin for donations?
A: Restrict access to donation management endpoints to trusted IPs or authenticated users only. Consider a temporary alternative payment form integrated with a reputable payment provider.

Q: Can I keep the plugin but hide it?
A: No. Security through obscurity is insufficient. Remove or block access to vulnerable code paths or apply virtual patches.

If you need assistance

If you need hands-on help, engage a reputable incident response or managed security provider. Good questions to ask a provider:

• Can you perform a complete inventory and scan across our sites for the affected plugin?
• Do you provide virtual-patching rules and can you test them in detect mode first?
• Can you perform forensic analysis of suspected compromises and help with containment and recovery?
• What are your procedures for preserving evidence and supporting law enforcement if needed?

Final words — prioritized checklist (one-page quick actions)

1. Identify all sites with IDonatePro (≤ 2.1.9).
2. If non-essential: deactivate and delete the plugin immediately.
3. If essential: restrict access to plugin endpoints (edge rules or server ACLs) and rate-limit probes.
4. Monitor logs for suspicious activity related to plugin paths.
5. Rotate admin credentials and API keys if suspicious activity is detected.
6. Scan for malware and backdoors; restore from clean backups if needed.
7. Apply vendor patches as soon as they become available and verify upgrades in staging first.

We will update this advisory as vendor patches are released or further technical details appear. Stay vigilant and prioritise containment for any sites with the vulnerable plugin.

Stay safe,
Hong Kong Security Expert Team