As 2025 nears its end, the WordPress ecosystem continues to face a surge in security threats. November has brought a series of critical vulnerabilities affecting widely used plugins, with some flaws rated as severe as 10/10 on the CVSS scale. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest findings, based on the November 2025 vulnerability reports from SolidWP, TechRadar, WP-Firewall, and other trusted sources.
For context, you can also revisit our previous analysis of the September 2025 WordPress Security Update.
The State of WordPress Security in November 2025
According to the SolidWP Vulnerability Report (November 5, 2025), the WordPress ecosystem saw 108 new vulnerabilities disclosed during the month. Of these, 77 have been patched, while 31 remain unpatched—posing significant risks to site owners who delay updates.
The report also confirms that WordPress 6.8.3, released on September 30, included two minor security fixes, while version 6.9 is scheduled for release on December 2, 2025, with additional hardening improvements.
The overarching trend? Attackers are increasingly targeting popular plugins with large installation bases—such as WooCommerce, LiteSpeed Cache, and The Events Calendar—making timely updates more critical than ever.
Critical Plugin Vulnerabilities in November 2025
The Events Calendar – Unauthenticated SQL Injection (CVE‑2025‑12197)
One of the most severe vulnerabilities this month affects The Events Calendar, a plugin with over 800,000 active installations.
- Type: SQL Injection (unauthenticated)
- Severity: CVSS 9.3
- Affected versions: 6.15.1.1 – 6.15.9
- Patched in: 6.15.10
- Source: WP‑Firewall advisory
This flaw allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries without authentication, potentially leading to complete database compromise. Site owners are strongly advised to upgrade immediately to version 6.15.10 or later.
King Addons for Elementor – File Upload and Privilege Escalation (CVE‑2025‑6327, CVE‑2025‑6325)
The King Addons for Elementor plugin, used on more than 10,000 websites, was found to contain two critical vulnerabilities:
- Unauthenticated file upload (CVE‑2025‑6327, CVSS 10.0)
- Privilege escalation (CVE‑2025‑6325, CVSS 9.8)
- Patched in: version 51.1.37
- Source: TechRadar Security Report
These vulnerabilities could allow attackers to upload arbitrary files and gain administrative access. The plugin’s developers have released a patch, but many sites remain outdated. If you rely on King Addons, update immediately and verify file permissions.
Anti‑Malware Security and Brute‑Force Firewall – Arbitrary File Read (CVE‑2025‑11705)
Ironically, a plugin designed to protect WordPress sites introduced a serious security risk.
- Type: Arbitrary File Read
- Severity: CVSS 6.8
- Affected versions: prior to 2.23.83
- Patched in: 2.23.83
- Source: TechRadar
This flaw could allow attackers to read sensitive files such as wp-config.php, exposing database credentials. Although a patch is available, approximately 50,000 sites remain unprotected as of mid-November.
Other Notable Vulnerabilities
- LiteSpeed Cache – Cross‑Site Scripting (CVE‑2025‑12450)
- WooCommerce – XSS (CVE‑2025‑49042)
- Polylang – Unsafe deserialization (CVE‑2025‑64353)
- Post SMTP – Broken authentication (CVE‑2025‑11833)
- Taskbuilder – SQL Injection (CVE‑2025‑22716, CVSS 8.5)
- RomethemeKit for Elementor – Code injection (CVE‑2025‑30911, CVSS 9.9)
- WP Project Manager – Data disclosure (CVE‑2025‑58269)
- SecuPress Free – Privilege escalation allowing subscribers to install plugins (CVE‑2025‑3452)
These vulnerabilities demonstrate how even well‑maintained plugins can become attack vectors if updates are delayed.
Trends and Insights: What November 2025 Tells Us
- Rise in Critical Plugin Vulnerabilities: November 2025 saw a noticeable increase in critical CVEs, particularly in plugins that extend Elementor and WooCommerce. Attackers target high‑impact, low‑effort exploits—often requiring no authentication.
- Patch Adoption Lag: While over 70% of vulnerabilities disclosed this month have patches available, many websites remain outdated. This patch adoption lag is a major contributor to successful attacks.
- Security Plugins Are Not Immune: Incidents with Anti‑Malware and SecuPress show that security tools can introduce new risks. Relying on a single plugin is not sufficient.
- Growing Importance of Virtual Patching: Solutions like Patchstack and Solid Security Pro help mitigate risks between disclosure and patch deployment.
Best Practices for WordPress Site Owners
- Update Regularly – Enable automatic updates for core and plugins when possible.
- Monitor Vulnerability Feeds – Subscribe to SolidWP’s reports or Patchstack’s database.
- Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) – Cloudflare, Wordfence, or Sucuri can block exploits.
- Implement Virtual Patching – Useful between disclosure and patch deployment.
- Restrict User Permissions – Limit admin access and enforce two‑factor authentication.
- Regular Backups – Maintain off‑site backups for quick recovery.
WordPress Core: Stable but Not Invulnerable
Although no new critical vulnerabilities were reported in the WordPress core during November, the 6.8.3 release included two minor security fixes addressing potential privilege escalation vectors. The upcoming 6.9 version—scheduled for early December—will introduce additional hardening measures, including improved sanitization for REST API endpoints.
Core stability is encouraging, but as history shows, the majority of WordPress compromises originate from plugins and themes, not from the CMS itself.
Looking Ahead: Preparing for 2026
- AI‑driven vulnerability detection is helping identify flaws earlier in the development cycle.
- Zero‑day exploits are becoming more common, especially in premium plugin ecosystems.
- Regulatory compliance (GDPR and upcoming EU Cyber Resilience Act) will influence how developers handle vulnerability disclosure and patch timelines.
For developers and agencies, proactive security management—through automated scanning, dependency monitoring, and continuous patching—will be the defining factor separating secure sites from compromised ones.
Conclusion
November 2025 underscores a simple truth: WordPress security is only as strong as your update discipline. The month’s critical vulnerabilities, particularly in The Events Calendar and King Addons for Elementor, highlight the importance of immediate patching and layered defenses.
If you manage multiple WordPress sites, consider implementing centralized update management and vulnerability monitoring tools. Stay informed through reliable sources such as SolidWP, TechRadar, and WP‑Firewall for ongoing monthly updates.
For more insights, practical guides, and monthly updates, explore our other articles on Developress.io, including the September 2025 Security Update and our upcoming December 2025 security forecast.
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