Overview
A stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been identified in the Head Meta Data WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to and including 20250327. This vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-66081, allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages through improperly neutralized input during web page generation. By exploiting this flaw, attackers can potentially compromise user accounts, redirect users to malicious websites, or deface the affected website.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides in how the Head Meta Data plugin handles user-supplied input. Specifically, the plugin fails to properly sanitize or encode input before it is displayed on a web page. An attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code into a field (likely within the plugin’s settings or meta data fields). When a user views the page containing the injected script, the script will execute in their browser, potentially allowing the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the user.
CVSS Analysis
According to the information available, the severity of CVE-2025-66081 is marked as N/A, with a CVSS score of N/A. While a CVSS score isn’t provided directly, the nature of a stored XSS vulnerability often indicates a potentially high severity level, depending on the scope of impact and privileges required for exploitation.
Possible Impact
The exploitation of this XSS vulnerability can have several severe consequences:
- Account Compromise: Attackers can steal user session cookies and gain unauthorized access to user accounts, including administrator accounts.
- Malicious Redirection: Users can be redirected to phishing websites or websites containing malware.
- Website Defacement: The attacker could modify the content of the website, potentially damaging its reputation.
- Data Theft: Sensitive information displayed on the affected pages could be stolen by the attacker.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is crucial to take the following steps:
- Update the Plugin: The most effective way to address this vulnerability is to update the Head Meta Data plugin to the latest version if a patched version is available from the plugin developer, Jeff Starr. Check the WordPress plugin repository for updates.
- Disable the Plugin: If an update is not yet available, consider temporarily disabling the Head Meta Data plugin until a patched version is released.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block XSS attacks. Many WAFs have pre-built rulesets for common XSS patterns.
- Input Sanitization: If you are familiar with PHP and WordPress plugin development, you can implement input sanitization and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks. This is a more advanced solution.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits of your WordPress website and plugins to identify and address potential vulnerabilities proactively.
