Broken Access Control in Breadcrumb NavXT (≤ 7.5.0) — What WordPress Site Owners Need to Know and How to Protect Their Sites

Author: Hong Kong Security Expert  |  Date: 2026-02-18

Summary: A Broken Access Control vulnerability (CVE-2025-13842) affecting Breadcrumb NavXT versions ≤ 7.5.0 was disclosed and fixed in 7.5.1. This post explains the issue in practical terms, the risk to your site, detection and remediation steps, hardening and monitoring guidance, and virtual patching strategies.

Table des matières

• Que s'est-il passé (niveau élevé)
• Résumé technique de la vulnérabilité
• Qui est concerné et pourquoi vous devriez vous en soucier
• Assessing impact on your site
• Immediate remediation: quick steps (for administrators)
• How to update Breadcrumb NavXT safely (CLI and UI steps)
• Hardening, monitoring and detection guidance
• Recommended WAF rules and virtual patching strategies
• Liste de contrôle pour la réponse aux incidents et la récupération
• Longer-term controls and best practices for plugin risk management
• Appendix: useful commands, references and diagnostics

Que s'est-il passé (niveau élevé)

On 18 February 2026 a Broken Access Control issue (CVE-2025-13842) affecting the Breadcrumb NavXT plugin for WordPress was publicly disclosed. Versions up to and including 7.5.0 contained a missing authorization check that allowed unauthenticated actors to access or trigger functionality that should have been restricted. A fixed release (7.5.1) is available and should be installed.

Broken access control vulnerabilities concern permission checks: when code assumes the caller is authorised but does not verify it, sensitive information or privileged functionality can leak. If you run Breadcrumb NavXT ≤ 7.5.0, treat the site as potentially exposed until patched and verified.

Résumé technique de la vulnérabilité

• Affected software: Breadcrumb NavXT plugin for WordPress
• Vulnerable versions: ≤ 7.5.0
• Fixed in: 7.5.1
• CVE: CVE-2025-13842
• Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control (OWASP A01)
• Required privilege: None — unauthenticated access
• Typical impact: information disclosure of plugin-related data or execution of plugin functionality without authorization (low severity based on available details)
• CVSS (reported): 5.3 (context-dependent)

Although this vulnerability is unlikely to directly produce arbitrary code execution, information disclosure and broken assumptions in authorization can enable follow-on attacks (reconnaissance, social engineering, chaining with other issues). Treat disclosure seriously.

Qui est concerné et pourquoi vous devriez vous en soucier

• Sites running Breadcrumb NavXT ≤ 7.5.0 are affected.
• Any WordPress installation where Breadcrumb NavXT is active and reachable by unauthenticated visitors is potentially exposed.
• No login is required to trigger the flaw, enabling automated scanners and opportunistic attackers.
• Leaked configuration, endpoints or paths can assist attackers in escalation or targeted attacks.

If you manage multiple sites (agency, host, MSP), prioritise checks and updates across your fleet.

Assessing impact on your site

Use this quick flow to judge impact:

1. Is Breadcrumb NavXT installed and active? If no, not affected.
2. If yes, check the plugin version.
3. If version ≤ 7.5.0, treat the site as vulnerable until patched.
4. Check logs for suspicious traffic to plugin endpoints.
5. Determine whether any sensitive data or admin-only functionality could be exposed via the plugin.

Common indicators of exploitation attempts:

• Numerous requests for plugin files or endpoints from single IP ranges.
• Requests to admin-ajax.php, REST endpoints or plugin JS/CSS with action parameters targeting plugin functions.
• Unexpected GET/POST responses containing configuration, tokens, version strings, or file paths.

Immediate remediation: quick steps (for administrators)

If you can act immediately, follow these steps.

1. Identify if you are vulnerable:
   • Dashboard: WordPress → Plugins → Breadcrumb NavXT — check version.
   • WP-CLI: use the command shown in the appendix to get the version.
2. If vulnerable: update to 7.5.1 immediately (see update section).
3. If you cannot update immediately: apply temporary mitigation:
   • Block unauthenticated access to plugin endpoints via your edge controls or web application firewall.
   • Limit access by IP if feasible.
   • Disable the plugin temporarily if it is non-essential and you cannot mitigate otherwise.
4. Enable monitoring: turn on request logging and alerting for plugin-related URIs; export recent logs.
5. Back up your site (files + database) before applying updates or changes.
6. Notify stakeholders: site owners, clients or internal teams that a plugin vulnerability has been addressed.

How to update Breadcrumb NavXT safely

Prefer the WordPress dashboard for single sites. Use WP-CLI for many sites or automation.

Using WordPress dashboard

1. Log in as an administrator.
2. Go to Dashboard → Updates or Plugins → Installed Plugins.
3. If an update is available for Breadcrumb NavXT, click Update Now.
4. Verify the plugin version reads 7.5.1 after update.
5. Test site functionality (breadcrumbs, navigation) and check logs for errors.

Using WP-CLI

1. Sauvegardez d'abord :
   • Files: archive wp-content and wp-config.php.
   • Database: export a copy of the DB.
2. Mise à jour :

   wp plugin update breadcrumb-navxt --version=7.5.1

3. Vérifiez :

   wp plugin get breadcrumb-navxt --field=version

   The command should return 7.5.1.

4. Visit a few pages to ensure breadcrumbs render as expected and monitor error logs for 30–60 minutes.

Safe update checklist

• Full backup (files + DB).
• Enable maintenance mode if front-end changes are expected.
• Update plugin and run smoke tests (homepage, posts, category pages).
• Check PHP error logs for notices/warnings.
• If the plugin has custom integrations, test on staging before production.

Hardening, monitoring and detection guidance

Layered defenses reduce the chance that a single plugin flaw leads to compromise.

Étapes de durcissement

• Principle of least privilege: administrative accounts should use strong passwords and MFA.
• Supprimer les plugins et thèmes inutilisés.
• Set file permissions so wp-content is writable only where necessary.
• Désactivez les éditeurs de fichiers dans wp-config.php :

  define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );

• Keep PHP, MySQL and server components up to date.

Surveillance et détection

• Retain logs: web server, PHP-FPM, WordPress debug (when needed), and edge/WAF logs.
• Watch for repeated requests to plugin endpoints from unauthenticated IPs.
• Alert on abnormal query strings to admin-ajax.php, xmlrpc.php or REST endpoints referencing Breadcrumb NavXT functionality.
• Set alerts for spikes in 200 responses for plugin endpoints from single IPs and for unusual 4xx/5xx patterns.
• Periodically scan with an authorized website scanner configured to be non-destructive.

Recommended WAF rules and virtual patching strategies

If you cannot update immediately, virtual patching at the edge can reduce exposure. Test all rules in monitoring mode first.

1) Block unauthenticated access to risky plugin endpoints

If vulnerable functionality is exposed via admin-ajax or REST, require authentication for those calls.

Example logic (conceptual):

• Si le chemin de la requête correspond /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and query parameter action belongs to plugin-related actions and request has no valid logged-in cookie or nonce → block or challenge.
• For REST endpoints: if path matches /wp-json/breadcrumb-navxt/.* and no authentication supplied → block.

2) Enforce nonces for AJAX/REST plugin actions

Require a valid WordPress nonce (header or param) for plugin actions. Example rule: if action=bcn_* et X-WP-Nonce header missing or invalid → 403.

3) Rate limit probing

Apply stricter rate limits to unknown clients targeting plugin endpoints (e.g., 10 requests/minute per IP), escalate on violations.

4) Block common reconnaissance patterns

Challenge or block repetitive requests for plugin assets (readme.txt, changelog) and suspicious user agents performing wide scanning behaviour.

5) Virtual patch via response modification (advanced)

When feasible, use response-modifying rules to remove sensitive fields from unauthenticated responses. This requires exact knowledge of response structure and thorough testing.

6) Alert on exploitation patterns

Create alerts when a suspicious request returns 200 with payloads that match patterns of sensitive content (settings, tokens, internal paths).

Adjust rule syntax to your WAF product and hosting environment. Always start with monitoring mode and verify false-positive rates before enforcement.

Liste de contrôle pour la réponse aux incidents et la récupération

1. Contenir
   • Put site into maintenance mode if necessary.
   • Block malicious IPs identified in logs.
   • Apply temporary WAF rules to affected endpoints.
2. Préservez les preuves
   • Export logs (web server, WAF, PHP errors) and back them up offline.
   • Snapshot filesystem and database if forensic analysis is required.
3. Éradiquer
   • Patch the plugin to 7.5.1.
   • Remove unauthorized accounts and backdoors.
   • Run a full malware scan and remove malicious artifacts.
4. Récupérer
   • Restaurez des sauvegardes propres si nécessaire.
   • Faites tourner les identifiants qui ont pu être exposés.
   • Réactivez les services et surveillez de près.
5. Post-incident
   • Perform root cause analysis and update incident documentation.
   • Harden controls (WAF rules, logging, change processes).

Longer-term controls and best practices for plugin risk management

• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of plugins and versions; prioritise by exposure and business impact.
• Test updates in staging to avoid breaking production sites; automate compatibility checks where possible.
• Adopt a pragmatic auto-update policy: auto-update low-risk plugins, stage high-risk ones first.
• Use least-privilege access and enable MFA for administrative accounts.
• Define emergency patch windows and designate a security lead for urgent issues.
• Combine layered defenses: WAF/edge controls, endpoint checks, and reliable backups.
• Monitor maintainer announcements and CVE feeds related to your installed components.
• When appropriate, consider plugin alternatives with smaller attack surfaces or stronger maintenance practices.

Appendix: useful commands, diagnostics and log indicators

Find plugin version (WP-CLI)

# Show installed plugins and versions
wp plugin list

# Get version of Breadcrumb NavXT
wp plugin get breadcrumb-navxt --field=version

Backup example (WP-CLI)

# Export database
wp db export backup-before-bcn-update.sql

# Archive wp-content
tar czf wp-content-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz wp-content

Example log patterns to look for

• Requests to admin-ajax:

  GET /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=bcn_...

• REST API probes:

  GET /wp-json/breadcrumb-navxt/v1/...

• High frequency of 200 responses for plugin URIs from single IPs — indicates probing.
• Requests for plugin assets/readme:

  GET /wp-content/plugins/breadcrumb-navxt/readme.txt

Example WAF pseudo-rule (conceptual)

IF
  Request URI MATCHES "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"
  AND Query parameter "action" MATCHES "^(bcn_|breadcrumb_).*"
  AND Cookie "wordpress_logged_in_" NOT PRESENT
THEN
  BLOCK or RETURN 403

Always test in monitoring mode first to measure false positives.

Liste de contrôle finale (rapide).

• Check Breadcrumb NavXT version. If ≤ 7.5.0, update to 7.5.1 as a priority.
• If you cannot patch immediately, apply WAF virtual patching for plugin endpoints and limit probes.
• Backup site before update and test changes on staging where possible.
• Monitor logs and set alerts on plugin-related suspicious activity.
• Add plugin inventory and automated checks to your operational security program.

If you require assistance assessing a specific site, implementing WAF rules, or performing incident response, engage a qualified security professional or your internal security team. Timely patching and careful monitoring remain the most effective controls.

References: CVE-2025-13842 (see link at top), official plugin changelog for Breadcrumb NavXT, and standard WordPress administration documentation.