Ethical Hacking News
Thousands of WordPress sites have been left vulnerable to attacks after a critical zero-day vulnerability was discovered in the Alone WordPress theme. The vulnerability allows attackers to hijack websites and gain control over them. WordPress site administrators are urged to update to the latest version, monitor suspicious activity, and scan logs for signs of exploitation.
Thousands of WordPress sites have been left vulnerable to attacks due to a critical zero-day vulnerability in the Alone WordPress theme.The vulnerability allows attackers to hijack websites and gain control over them.Attacks have been exploiting the flaw to upload ZIP files containing PHP backdoors, allowing attackers to run remote commands and gain extensive access.WordPress site administrators are urged to update to the latest version of the Alone theme immediately.Regularly monitoring suspicious activity and scanning logs for signs of exploitation can help reduce the risk of falling prey to attacks.
In a recent turn of events that highlights the importance of security measures and timely updates, a critical vulnerability has been identified in the Alone WordPress theme, leaving thousands of sites exposed to potential attacks. According to reports from security researchers, attackers have been actively exploiting this zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-5394) to hijack websites, making it a pressing concern for site administrators.
On May 30th, 2025, security researcher ThÈi An reported the bug via WordPress security firm Wordfence. This marked the beginning of a rapid escalation of threats as attackers took advantage of this critical flaw in the Alone theme, which has over 9,000 installations. The vulnerability allows for an unauthenticated attacker to upload arbitrary files to a vulnerable site and achieve remote code execution, effectively leading to a full takeover of the compromised website.
A key takeaway from this incident is that threat actors are monitoring changesets and software for newly patched vulnerabilities. This means that even after a vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and patched by the vendor, attackers can still exploit it before its widespread adoption. As Wordfence noted in their advisory, the alone_import_pack_install_plugin() function lacked capability and nonce checks, allowing unauthenticated users to access it via the wp_ajax_nopriv hook. This led to attackers being able to install plugins using remote sources by sending crafted requests, resulting in arbitrary file uploads and potential remote code execution.
Furthermore, in the attacks blocked by Wordfence, threat actors exploit the flaw to upload ZIP files like "wp-classic-editor.zip" containing PHP backdoors. These allow them to run remote commands, upload more files, and even install full file managers or hidden admin accounts, giving them complete control over the site. This underscores the severity of the situation, as attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to gain extensive access to the compromised website.
Given this information, it is imperative for WordPress site administrators using the Alone theme to update to the latest version. Moreover, they should check for suspicious admin accounts and scan logs for requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=alone_import_pack_install_plugin. These measures can significantly reduce the risk of being exploited by attackers.
The discovery of this critical vulnerability highlights the importance of staying up-to-date with security patches and being vigilant in monitoring website activity. It is also a reminder that no system or software is completely secure, and that even the most seemingly minor vulnerabilities can have far-reaching consequences if left unaddressed.
In light of this recent incident, it is crucial for WordPress users to prioritize their site's security. By adhering to best practices, such as keeping software up-to-date and implementing robust security measures, they can significantly reduce the risk of falling prey to attacks like the one targeting the Alone WordPress theme.
Thousands of WordPress sites have been left vulnerable to attacks after a critical zero-day vulnerability was discovered in the Alone WordPress theme. The vulnerability allows attackers to hijack websites and gain control over them. WordPress site administrators are urged to update to the latest version, monitor suspicious activity, and scan logs for signs of exploitation.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Attacking-the-Unprotected-The-Vulnerability-in-Alone-WordPress-Theme-Exposed-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/180630/hacking/attackers-actively-exploit-critical-zero-day-in-alone-wordpress-theme.html
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-5394
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-5394/
Published: Thu Jul 31 12:32:43 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
