Overview
A reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been identified in the Twitscription plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-13623, affects all versions up to and including 0.1.1. Unauthenticated attackers can leverage this flaw to inject arbitrary web scripts into vulnerable pages. If a user clicks a malicious link, the injected script can execute, potentially compromising their session or performing actions on their behalf.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping within the admin.php file, specifically when handling the PATH_INFO variable. The Twitscription plugin fails to properly sanitize and encode user-supplied data passed through this variable. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious URL that injects arbitrary JavaScript code. When a user (typically an administrator) visits this URL, the injected script executes within their browser session.
The vulnerable code can be observed (potentially) in the referenced files:
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) assigns this vulnerability a score of 6.1, classifying it as MEDIUM severity. This score reflects the following characteristics:
- Attack Vector (AV): Network (N)
- Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L)
- Privileges Required (PR): None (N)
- User Interaction (UI): Required (R)
- Scope (S): Changed (C)
- Confidentiality Impact (C): Low (L)
- Integrity Impact (I): Low (L)
- Availability Impact (A): None (N)
The requirement for user interaction lowers the severity compared to an attack that could be executed entirely without user involvement.
Possible Impact
A successful XSS attack can have significant consequences, including:
- Account Compromise: An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, allowing them to impersonate the victim and gain unauthorized access to the WordPress dashboard.
- Malware Distribution: Injected scripts could redirect users to malicious websites or inject malware into the victim’s browser.
- Defacement: Attackers could modify the content of the WordPress site, potentially damaging its reputation.
- Phishing: The injected scripts could display fake login forms to steal user credentials.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The best course of action is to:
- Check for Updates: The primary mitigation is to update the Twitscription plugin to the latest version if a patched version is available. Unfortunately, the plugin has been removed from the WordPress repository, suggesting it is no longer maintained.
- Remove the Plugin: If no update is available, the recommended course of action is to completely remove the Twitscription plugin from your WordPress installation. This is the only reliable way to eliminate the risk.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): While not a replacement for patching, a WAF can provide some degree of protection by filtering out malicious requests. Configure your WAF to block requests containing suspicious script patterns.
- User Awareness: Educate your users about the dangers of clicking on suspicious links.
