This monthly roundup highlights the most impactful WordPress security issues disclosed in October 2025. It covers key CVEs affecting WordPress core, plugins, and themes, with severity, affected versions, exploit likelihood, and patch guidance. You’ll also find a quick triage table, an update/rollback/staging workflow, and a 24-hour remediation checklist for non-technical site owners.
If you’d like expert help with updates, monitoring, and security hardening, see our service: WordPress Maintenance & Support.
1) Quick Overview
| Action timeframe | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Immediately | Update WordPress core to the latest version and apply available security patches. |
| Within 24 hours | Review the high-impact items below; patch or temporarily deactivate/remove vulnerable components. |
| Within 7 days | Run a full inventory of plugins/themes, prune abandoned ones, review admin roles, enable 2FA, and audit recent logs. |
2) Key CVEs in October 2025
CVE-2025-5947 – Authentication Bypass in “Service Finder Bookings” (part of the Service Finder Theme)
What it is: A critical authentication bypass that lets an unauthenticated attacker log in as any user (including admin) due to improper validation of a user-controlled cookie in service_finder_switch_back(). NVD · Wordfence advisory
Affected versions: ≤ 6.0 (fixed in 6.1 on July 17, 2025). Details
Severity / likelihood: CVSS 3.1: 9.8 (Critical); active exploitation observed in the wild during October. NVD · The Hacker News
What to do: Update to 6.1+ immediately or replace the theme. Review admin login logs for unusual sessions and look for suspicious use of “switch_back” parameters.
CVE-2025-10313 – Missing Authorization in “Find And Replace Content” Plugin
What it is: Missing capability checks in far_admin_ajax_fun() allow unauthenticated stored XSS and arbitrary content replacement. NVD · Wordfence Intel
Affected versions: ≤ 1.1 (plugin was temporarily closed on October 14, 2025). Details
Severity / likelihood: CVSS 3.1: 7.2 (High); no confirmed widespread exploitation as of publication, but risk is non-trivial. NVD
What to do: Deactivate and remove the plugin. Reset administrator passwords as a precaution and scan for injected scripts.
CVE-2025-10743 – Unauthenticated SQL Injection in “Outdoor” Plugin
What it is: An unauthenticated SQL injection via the edit action (insufficient escaping and query preparation), enabling data extraction from the database. NVD · Wordfence Intel
Affected versions: ≤ 1.3.2 (plugin deactivated pending review on October 14, 2025). Details
Severity / likelihood: CVSS 3.1: 7.5 (High). NVD
What to do: Remove the plugin and replace it with a supported alternative; monitor DB logs and access logs for anomalies.
3) WordPress Core in October 2025
WordPress 6.8.3 shipped on September 30, 2025 as a security release with two fixes. Update immediately if you haven’t already. Official release note
The disclosure volume across the ecosystem remains high. For example, the October 1 weekly report counted 476 new vulnerabilities (457 plugins, 17 themes). SolidWP report
4) Triage Table (Prioritize These First)
| CVE | Component | Affected versions | Patch available? | Exploit likelihood / severity | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-5947 | Service Finder Bookings / Service Finder theme | ≤ 6.0 | Yes (6.1) | Active exploitation; CVSS 9.8 (Critical) | Update to 6.1+ or replace; review logs |
| CVE-2025-10313 | Find And Replace Content (plugin) | ≤ 1.1 | No (temporarily closed) | High; stored XSS / content replacement | Remove; rotate admin credentials |
| CVE-2025-10743 | Outdoor (plugin) | ≤ 1.3.2 | No (deactivated) | High; unauthenticated SQLi | Remove; monitor DB/access logs |
Tip: If a patch isn’t available, treat the component as “remove/replace” to reduce attack surface.
5) Workflow: Update → Rollback → Staging
- Staging & backups first: Take a full backup (files + DB). Use a staging site or local sandbox to test updates safely.
- Inventory & pruning: Export a list of all plugins/themes with versions. Flag anything unmaintained (>12 months without updates) for removal or replacement.
- Update core: Move to WordPress 6.8.3+ promptly; it’s a security release. Details
- Patch critical items first: Address the CVEs in the triage table, then continue through the rest of your stack.
- Functional testing: After each update, test logins, contact forms, search, checkout flows, and critical templates on staging.
- Rollback if needed: If an update breaks the site, restore from backup and pin the component while you investigate.
- Monitoring & auditing: Enable security/audit logs; review last 24–48 hours of admin activity, user creation, file changes (e.g.,
wp-content/uploads), and DB anomalies.
6) 24-Hour Checklist (Non-Technical Site Owners)
- Open Dashboard → Updates and apply all available core, plugin, and theme updates.
- Deactivate and delete plugins you don’t use anymore.
- Create a fresh full backup (files + database).
- Change the admin password to a strong unique one and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Check for any new Administrator/Editor accounts you don’t recognize and remove or reset them.
- Review recent logs (if available) for unusual login attempts and unexpected admin actions.
- After updates, test critical user flows (contact forms, login, checkout) to confirm everything works.
- If you’re unsure or short on time, consider professional help: Maintenance & Support.
7) Takeaways for October 2025
- Core security: WordPress 6.8.3 (Sept 30) is a security release – update promptly.
- Volume: Disclosure counts remain high (e.g., 476 new issues in one weekly snapshot on Oct 1).
- Risk pattern: Many severe cases stem from weak access controls (auth bypass, missing authorization) and injection flaws.
- Speed matters: At least one major issue this month (CVE-2025-5947) saw active exploitation – prioritise time-to-patch.
- Hygiene: Reduce your plugin/theme footprint and favour actively maintained solutions.
Need help? We can audit your stack, patch safely on staging, and set up proactive monitoring. Learn more: WordPress Maintenance & Support.
