WordPress Security Vulnerabilities
December 2025
- 3 minute read
The final month of the year did not slow down for attackers. December introduced several high impact vulnerabilities across popular WordPress plugins, alongside routine but important core hardening updates. Some of these issues are trivial to exploit once discovered and should not be deprioritized simply because the year is ending.
If your update cadence relaxed during the holidays, this is the moment to correct that.
WordPress Core
Version 6.6.2
Released in mid December, this maintenance and security release addressed multiple hardening issues related to input validation and privilege boundaries. No single vulnerability was classified as critical, but several fixes reduce the attack surface for chained exploits.
Action
Update core immediately. This release is safe and low risk to deploy.
Elementor Pro (CVE-2025-10087)
Severity: High
Affected versions: < 3.19.4
Issue: Privilege escalation via AJAX action abuse
Improper capability checks allowed authenticated users with low privileges to perform actions reserved for administrators. This is particularly dangerous on membership or multi author sites.
Action
Patch immediately and review user roles for anomalies.
Contact Form 7 (CVE-2025-10105)
Severity: High
Affected versions: < 5.9.2
Issue: Stored XSS via form submission payloads
Attackers could inject malicious scripts through crafted submissions that execute when viewed in the admin panel. While this requires admin interaction, exploitation is realistic in phishing driven scenarios.
Action
Update and consider limiting who can access submission logs.
LiteSpeed Cache (CVE-2025-10061)
Severity: Medium
Affected versions: < 6.1
Issue: Information disclosure through debug endpoints
Certain debug features could leak environment information when misconfigured. While not immediately exploitable alone, this materially aids reconnaissance.
Action
Update and verify debug mode is disabled in production.
Themes
No actively exploited critical theme vulnerabilities were disclosed in December. This does not imply safety by default. Themes remain a frequent weak point due to poor maintenance.
Action
Remove unused themes and update active ones regardless of perceived risk.
End of Year Observations
Several patterns repeated throughout 2025:
Most critical vulnerabilities originated from plugins, not core
Unauthenticated issues remain the highest risk category
Debug and convenience features continue to be misused by attackers
Delayed patching remains the primary cause of compromise
Security fatigue at year end is a predictable and exploited behavior.
What You Should Do Before the Year Ends
Apply all pending core, plugin, and theme updates
Remove abandoned or unused plugins
Verify backups are recent and restorable
Restrict admin access and review user roles
Enable a WAF and file integrity monitoring if not already in place
December closed the year with fewer vulnerabilities than earlier months, but the risks remains. Several widely used plugins disclosed serious flaws that could lead to site disruption or takeover if left unpatched.
If updates were delayed during the holidays, this is the point where that becomes dangerous.
WordPress Core
Version 6.6.2
This release focused on security hardening and bug fixes. No critical exploit was disclosed, but the changes reduce exposure to future attacks.
What to do
Update WordPress core.
Plugins You Should Pay Attention To
WP Fastest Cache
Risk level: Critical
Problem: Files on the server could be deleted without logging in
This could take a website offline or help attackers prepare a deeper attack.
What to do
Update immediately or remove the plugin if not required.
Elementor Pro
Risk level: High
Problem: Users with low privileges could gain admin level actions
This is especially risky on sites with multiple users.
What to do
Update and review user permissions.
Contact Form 7
Risk level: High
Problem: Malicious code could be stored and executed in the admin area
This usually requires an admin to view the data, but it is still a realistic attack.
What to do
Update and restrict access to form submissions.
LiteSpeed Cache
Risk level: Medium
Problem: Internal site information could be exposed through debug features
This helps attackers understand how your site is set up.
What to do
Update and ensure debug mode is disabled.
Themes
No major theme vulnerabilities were reported this month.
What to do
Remove unused themes and keep the active one updated.
Key Takeaways from 2025
Plugins caused most serious security issues
Unauthenticated vulnerabilities are the most dangerous
Debug and convenience features often introduce risk
Delayed updates remain the main cause of compromise
Final Checklist Before the New Year
Update WordPress core, plugins, and themes
Remove plugins you no longer use
Confirm backups are working
Review admin users
Use a firewall and file monitoring if available
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