CVE-2025-11522
Published: 09 October 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-11522 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in Themeforest (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 48.2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2025-11522 is an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme for WordPress in all versions up to and including 2.7. The issue stems from insufficient user validation in the search_and_go_elated_check_facebook_user() function, enabling account takeover when Facebook login is enabled. It is classified under CWE-288 (Authentication Improperly Specified) with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity due to high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. By leveraging the flawed Facebook login validation, they can take over any user's account, including those of administrators, granting full unauthorized access to the WordPress site.
Advisories detailing the vulnerability, including from Wordfence, are available at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/da590a65-8728-4577-b6e4-ecebc2a2277d?source=cve, along with the theme's page at https://themeforest.net/item/search-go-modern-smart-directory-theme/15365040. CVE-2025-62064 is noted as a likely duplicate of this CVE.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-33232
Vulnerability details
The Search & Go - Directory WordPress Theme theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Authentication Bypass via account takeover in all versions up to, and including, 2.7. This is due to insufficient user validation in the search_and_go_elated_check_facebook_user() function This makes…
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it possible for unauthenticated attackers to gain access to other user's accounts, including administrators, when Facebook login is enabled. CVE-2025-62064 is likely a duplicate of this CVE.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Authentication bypass in public-facing WordPress theme enables unauthenticated account takeover, including admin accounts, directly facilitating T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) and T1078.003 (Valid Accounts: Local Accounts).
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly mitigates the authentication bypass by requiring timely remediation of the flaw in the Search & Go theme's search_and_go_elated_check_facebook_user() function through patching.
Addresses the root cause of insufficient user validation during Facebook login by enforcing validation of all inputs to the authentication function.
Ensures proper management and verification of external authenticators from Facebook login, reducing the risk of bypass through inadequate validation.