Overview
CVE-2025-12079 details a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in the WP Twitter Auto Publish plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 1.7.3. Due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping when handling PostMessage data, unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary web scripts into pages. Exploitation requires tricking a user into clicking a malicious link.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies in how the WP Twitter Auto Publish plugin handles data received via the PostMessage API. The plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape this data before rendering it in the user’s browser. An attacker can craft a malicious URL that, when visited by a logged-in user, sends a PostMessage containing malicious JavaScript code. This code then executes in the context of the user’s session, potentially allowing the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the user or steal sensitive information. The vulnerable functionality is within the plugin’s admin interface when interacting with the Twitter API for posting updates.
CVSS Analysis
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-12079
- Severity: MEDIUM
- CVSS Score: 6.1
- CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N (This vector may need adjustment based on deeper analysis)
This CVSS score reflects the vulnerability’s medium severity. While the attacker doesn’t need authentication, user interaction is required to trigger the XSS.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to:
- Steal a logged-in user’s session cookies.
- Deface the WordPress website.
- Redirect users to malicious websites.
- Administer malicious code to the website on behalf of the logged in user.
The impact is limited by the user’s privileges. An administrator account compromise would lead to more severe consequences than a regular user’s account compromise.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The primary mitigation step is to update the WP Twitter Auto Publish plugin to the latest available version. Check the WordPress plugin repository for an updated version (greater than 1.7.3) that addresses this vulnerability. If an update is not yet available, consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a patched version is released. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks suspicious requests containing potentially malicious JavaScript code. This can provide an immediate, albeit imperfect, layer of protection.
