CVE-2025-4322: Unauthenticated Password Reset Vulnerability in Motors WordPress Theme Exploited in the Wild

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A critical vulnerability in the Motors WordPress theme (CVE-2025-4322) allows unauthenticated attackers to reset any user’s password, including admins. Over 23,000 exploit attempts have already been blocked. Learn how it works and how to protect your site.

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🔍 Overview

A critical security vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-4322, has been discovered in the popular Motors WordPress theme (versions ≤ 5.6.67). This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to reset the passwords of any user, including administrators—leading to full site takeover.

The vulnerability has already been exploited in the wild. According to data from Wordfence, over 23,100 attacks targeting this issue have been blocked since disclosure.

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🚨 CVE-2025-4322 Summary

Field	Details
CVE ID	CVE-2025-4322
Type	Privilege Escalation (Unauthenticated)
CVSS Score	9.8 (Critical)
Affected Versions	Motors ≤ 5.6.67
Patched Version	Motors 5.6.68
Exploit Method	Password reset bypass via invalid UTF-8 in hash_check
Disclosure Date	May 19, 2025
Mass Exploitation Start	June 7, 2025

 

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⚙️ How the Exploit Works

To exploit the flaw, attackers send specially crafted POST requests to endpoints such as /reset-password, /account, or /login-register/, including malformed or invalid UTF-8 characters in the hash_check parameter (e.g., %80, %C0, %25C0).

This causes the hash validation logic to fail open, allowing attackers to reset the password of any user they target.

 

Example Malicious Request:

 

POST /reset-password?user_id=1&hash_check=%C0 HTTP/1.1 Host: victim-site.com Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded stm_new_password=StrongNewPassword123

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🧠 Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)

Check your access logs for suspicious requests:

• ?user_id=1&hash_check=%80
• ?user_id=1&hash_check=%C0
• hash_check=%25C0

Or for POST requests to:

• /reset-password
• /login-register/
• /signin
• /account/

Look for failed admin logins or unexpected new admin users.

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🌐 Top Attacking IP Addresses

Here are some of the most active IPs involved in exploitation attempts:

• 198.2.233.90 – 4700+ attempts
• 192.210.243.217 – 3600+ attempts
• 123.253.111.178 – 3200+ attempts
• 8.217.154.123, 159.89.192.91, 47.243.115.199 – each 1300+ attempts

(Consider blocking or rate-limiting these IPs if appropriate.)

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🔐 How to Protect Your Site

✅ Update the Motors theme to version 5.6.68 or later
✅ Use a firewall such as Wordfence Premium (free version protected as of June 5, 2025)
✅ Monitor logs for suspicious POST requests with malformed hash_check values
✅ Audit admin user accounts for unauthorized additions

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🧰 Detection & WAF Rule Example (Advanced)

For site admins running their own WAF:

regex

hash_check=(%25)?(80|c0)

Or configure logic to flag any POST request with:

• hash_check param starting with %
• Password reset actions on admin accounts

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📌 Final Thoughts

The Motors theme vulnerability (CVE-2025-4322) is under active exploitation. If your site is still running a vulnerable version, update immediately. Even if you use Wordfence, patching ensures compatibility and long-term security.

Share this advisory with others in the WordPress community. Thousands of sites may still be vulnerable.

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[Closing CTA]

💡 If you're a researcher, Wordfence’s Bug Bounty Program is offering double rewards through August 4, 2025, for high-threat submissions—check it out!
🔒 For incident response, site cleanup, or emergency patching, consider Wordfence Response.

 

[Snort Rule for CVE-2025-4322 (Motors Theme Password Reset Exploit)]

alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (     msg:"WEB-APP Motors WordPress Theme password reset exploit attempt (CVE-2025-4322)";     flow:to_server,established;     content:"POST "; http_method;     content:"hash_check=%"; http_uri;     pcre:"/hash_check=%(25)?(80|c0)/Ui";     content:"stm_new_password="; http_client_body;     nocase;     classtype:web-application-attack;     reference:cve,2025-4322;     sid:1004322;     rev:1; )