Overview
A Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been discovered in the Islamic Phrases plugin for WordPress, identified as CVE-2025-11768. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 2.12.2015. Exploitation of this flaw could allow attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code into your WordPress site, potentially compromising user accounts and data.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping within the ‘phrases’ shortcode attribute. Specifically, the plugin does not properly sanitize user-supplied input passed through the phrases shortcode attribute before rendering it on a page. This allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary web scripts into pages or posts. When a user accesses a page containing the injected script, the script executes in their browser, potentially granting the attacker access to their session, cookies, or even allowing them to redirect the user to a malicious website.
The vulnerable code resides within the core plugin file where the shortcode is handled, specifically related to how the ‘phrases’ attribute is processed.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) assigns this vulnerability a score of 6.4 (MEDIUM). This score reflects the potential impact and exploitability of the vulnerability. The attack vector is network-based, requiring user interaction (victim visits injected page), and leverages low attack complexity. While requiring authentication lowers the severity slightly, the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is still significant.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this XSS vulnerability could lead to several detrimental outcomes:
- Account Takeover: Attackers can steal administrator cookies, potentially gaining complete control of the WordPress site.
- Data Theft: Sensitive data, such as user information or confidential content, could be stolen.
- Malware Distribution: The attacker can inject malicious scripts to redirect users to phishing sites or distribute malware.
- Defacement: The website can be defaced, damaging the organization’s reputation.
- SEO Poisoning: The website can be injected with code to manipulate search engine rankings, leading to unwanted traffic and potential blacklisting.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The most critical step to mitigate this vulnerability is to immediately remove the Islamic Phrases plugin from your WordPress installation or update it to a version patched for this vulnerability if available. If an updated version is not yet available and you require the functionality of the plugin, consider temporarily disabling the shortcode functionality if possible. Regularly review your WordPress plugins and themes for updates and security vulnerabilities.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to remove the plugin:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard as an administrator.
- Navigate to “Plugins” -> “Installed Plugins”.
- Locate the “Islamic Phrases” plugin.
- Click “Deactivate”.
- After deactivation, click “Delete”.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
References
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-11768
- Plugin Source Code (Vulnerable Version): islamic_phrases.php#L89
- Wordfence Threat Intelligence: Wordfence Vulnerability Report
