CVE-2025-8944

OceanWP <= 4.1.1 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Settings Update

2025-08-15 00:00
Hamit Cibo

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 4.1.2
Affected Theme
OceanWP
Affected Version
<= 4.1.1
CVSS
4.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2025-8944
View all OceanWP vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2025-8944 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the OceanWP WordPress theme, affecting versions <= 4.1.1. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 4.1.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2025, reported by Hamit Cibo.

Vulnerability Overview

The OceanWP theme for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'ocean_update_search_box_light_mode AJAX action in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to update the darkMod setting.

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-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in OceanWP <= 4.1.1 takes an account at Subscriber level or above. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For OceanWP the fix is 4.1.2: builds <= 4.1.1 are affected, anything from 4.1.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.1.2, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: OceanWP 4.1.2 closes this, and updating the theme is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-8944https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/4fe1c440-f988-4020-9f80-77683ff652b2https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-8944

Related records

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