A critical security vulnerability, officially tracked as CVE-2025-8592, has been identified in the popular Inspiro WordPress theme. The flaw, affecting over 70,000 active installations, enables unauthenticated attackers to exploit a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability that could allow arbitrary plugin installations without user consent.
Disclosed on August 20, 2025, this CSRF vulnerability was found in all versions of the Inspiro theme up to and including 2.1.2. According to the advisory issued by Wordfence, a well-known WordPress security firm, the root cause lies in a lack of proper nonce validation within the inspiro_install_plugin() function.
Nature of the CVE-2025-8592 Vulnerability
This improper or missing security validation opens the door for CSRF attacks, in which an attacker can exploit the session of a logged-in administrator by tricking them into clicking a malicious link. Once the admin interacts with the crafted link, their authenticated session can be abused to install unwanted plugins from the WordPress repository, completely unbeknownst to them.
The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) base score of 8.1 (High), with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H. This rating reflects the fact that the vulnerability can be exploited over the network, requires low attack complexity, does not need prior authentication, and can impact the integrity and availability of the affected site.
Expert Insight
Dmitrii Ignatyev of CleanTalk Inc., the researcher credited with discovering the vulnerability, highlighted how serious this issue is due to its low barrier of entry for attackers. Because no authentication is required and only minimal user interaction is needed (a click), even relatively unsophisticated threat actors could leverage it for potentially severe consequences.
Wordfence emphasized the risks in its advisory:
“This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to install plugins from the repository via a forged request, granted they can trick a site administrator into acting such as clicking on a link.”
This type of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is particularly dangerous in admin-level contexts where the attacker effectively hijacks high-level permissions to compromise the site without directly breaking into an account.
Patch and Remediation
The vulnerability has been addressed in Inspiro version 2.1.3, released shortly after the public disclosure. All users running version 2.1.2 or earlier are strongly advised to update immediately to 2.1.3 or later to mitigate the risk.
The patched version includes proper nonce validation, closing the CSRF loophole that allowed arbitrary plugin installation.
| Theme | Inspiro |
| Affected Versions | <= 2.1.2 |
| Patched Version | 2.1.3 |
| Vulnerability Type | Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) |
| CVE ID | CVE-2025-8592 |
| Discovered By | Dmitrii Ignatyev (CleanTalk Inc) |
| Date Published | August 20, 2025 |
| CVSS Score | 8.1 (High) |
Broader Implications
The disclosure of CVE-2025-8592 underlines the persistent security challenges faced by users of third-party WordPress themes and plugins. While the Inspiro WordPress theme is widely respected and used by many for its visual design and functionality, this incident illustrates how vulnerabilities can arise from even well-maintained projects.
Administrators are urged not only to apply the patch but also to regularly monitor vulnerability databases and security advisories to stay ahead of threats. The rapid response by WPZoom in releasing version 2.1.3 is a reminder that timely updates are often the most effective defense against newly discovered vulnerabilities.
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