CVE-2025-53986

Vulnerability

Analysis

CVE-2025-53986 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Hestia WordPress theme by ThemeIsle, affecting versions up to and including 3.2.10. The plugin fails to properly enforce Access Control Lists (ACLs), allowing unauthorized access to functions that should require higher privileges. This broken access control issue stems from a lack of permission checks or nonce validation in certain theme functionalities [1].

Exploitation

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability without authentication or with low-privileged accounts (e.g., subscribers) to access or trigger actions meant for administrators or editors. The attack surface is broad due to the theme's popularity, and exploitation can be automated to target multiple sites simultaneously. No special network position is required; the attack vector is via HTTP requests [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation enables an attacker to access functionality not properly constrained by ACLs, such as modifying settings, viewing sensitive data, or performing unintended operations. This could lead to partial site compromise or information disclosure. The vulnerability is rated Medium (CVSS 5.3) due to its low complexity but potential for mass exploitation [1].

Mitigation

ThemeIsle has addressed the issue in a subsequent release. Users must update the Hestia theme to version 3.2.11 or later. For those unable to update immediately, it is recommended to contact the hosting provider or web developer for assistance. The vulnerability is not known to be exploited in KEV, but it can be used in mass-exploit campaigns [1].