Local Syndication <= 1.5a - Authenticated (Contributor+) Server-Side Request Forgery via Shortcode
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Unpatched
- Affected Plugin
- Local Syndication
- Affected Version
<= 1.5a- CVSS
- 6.4Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-918 · Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
- CVE
CVE-2025-12962
At a glance
CVE-2025-12962 is a medium-severity Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the Local Syndication WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.5a. It carries a CVSS score of 6.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. No fixed release has been reported yet; treat installations running this software as exposed. Disclosed November 2025, reported by Ivan Cese.
Vulnerability Overview
The Local Syndication plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 1.5a via the `url` parameter in the `[syndicate_local]` shortcode. This is due to the use of `wp_remote_get()` instead of `wp_safe_remote_get()` which lacks protections against requests to internal/private IP addresses and localhost. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to make web requests to arbitrary locations originating from the web application, which can be used to query and modify information from internal services, scan internal networks, and access resources that should not be accessible from external networks.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user.
CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Local Syndication <= 1.5a carries this weakness at wp_remote_get(), and reaching it takes an account at Contributor level or above. Server-side request forgery means the application fetches a URL supplied by the caller, turning the server into a proxy for requests the attacker could not make directly.
The request originates from inside the hosting network, which is how these flaws reach cloud metadata endpoints, internal admin panels and services that trust local traffic. No fixed build of this plugin is recorded for Local Syndication yet, so installs running <= 1.5a stay exposed until the vendor ships one.
Remediation
No known patch available. Please review the vulnerability's details in depth and employ mitigations based on your organization's risk tolerance. It may be best to uninstall the affected software and find a replacement.
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Contributor access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. No patched version is recorded yet, which is the case where a filtering layer matters most, because there is nothing to update to.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C