CVE-2025-11763: Critical XSS Threat – Unveiling the Display Pages Shortcode Vulnerability

Overview

CVE-2025-11763 details a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in the Display Pages Shortcode plugin for WordPress. This flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.1. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious JavaScript code into pages. When unsuspecting users visit these compromised pages, the injected scripts execute, potentially leading to account compromise, data theft, or defacement of the website.

Technical Details

The vulnerability resides in the handling of the column_count parameter within the [display-pages] shortcode. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input provided to the column_count parameter. This unsanitized input is then used to construct HTML output without proper escaping, enabling the injection of arbitrary JavaScript code. The vulnerable code snippets are located at:

• display-pages-shortcode.php#L513
• display-pages-shortcode.php#L517

Attackers can inject malicious scripts by crafting a [display-pages] shortcode with a specially crafted column_count value. For example:

[display-pages column_count="<script>alert('XSS Vulnerability!')</script>"]

CVSS Analysis

• CVSS Score: 6.4 (Medium)

A CVSS score of 6.4 indicates a medium severity vulnerability. While not the most critical, this type of stored XSS vulnerability can still have a significant impact. The exploit requires authentication, but the access level (contributor or higher) is commonly available on many WordPress sites.

Possible Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to several negative consequences:

• Account Compromise: Attackers can steal administrator cookies or redirect users to phishing pages to steal their credentials.
• Website Defacement: Malicious scripts can modify the content and appearance of the website.
• Malware Distribution: The injected scripts can be used to redirect users to websites hosting malware.
• Data Theft: Sensitive data, such as user information or database credentials, could be stolen if the attacker can access them via the script.

Mitigation or Patch Steps

The primary mitigation step is to update the Display Pages Shortcode plugin to the latest version. If an updated version is not available, consider disabling the plugin entirely until a patch is released. Alternatively, if you are comfortable modifying the plugin code, you can implement the following security measures:

• Input Sanitization: Sanitize the column_count parameter using functions like esc_attr() or absint() to ensure that only safe values are accepted.
• Output Escaping: Escape all output generated from the column_count parameter using functions like esc_html() before it is displayed on the page.

Consider using a WordPress security plugin like Wordfence, Sucuri, or similar which may detect and block XSS attacks.

References

• Wordfence Vulnerability Report
• Vulnerable Code Snippet 1
• Vulnerable Code Snippet 2