Overview
This article details a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-13448 affecting the CSSIgniter Shortcodes plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious JavaScript code into pages, which will execute whenever other users visit the affected pages.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the ‘element’ attribute of a shortcode provided by the CSSIgniter Shortcodes plugin. Specifically, versions up to and including 2.4.1 are susceptible. The plugin fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input passed through the ‘element’ attribute. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code that is then stored in the WordPress database. When a user views the page containing the injected shortcode, the malicious code is executed in their browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or other malicious activities.
The vulnerable code is present in the ci-shortcodes.php file. The issue stems from the lack of proper escaping when handling the ‘element’ attribute within the shortcode processing function. This means any user-provided input, including malicious scripts, is directly outputted to the page without being sanitized.
CVSS Analysis
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-13448
- Severity: MEDIUM
- CVSS Score: 6.4
A CVSS score of 6.4 indicates a Medium severity vulnerability. While it requires authentication (Contributor-level access or higher), the potential impact is significant, as successful exploitation can lead to the compromise of other user accounts and the website itself.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can have serious consequences:
- Account Takeover: An attacker could potentially steal administrator cookies and gain complete control of the WordPress site.
- Website Defacement: Malicious code could be injected to deface the website, damaging its reputation.
- Malware Distribution: The injected code could redirect users to malicious websites, spreading malware.
- Data Theft: Sensitive information displayed on the affected pages could be stolen.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The recommended solution is to update the CSSIgniter Shortcodes plugin to a version higher than 2.4.1. The developers have addressed the vulnerability in subsequent releases by implementing proper input sanitization and output escaping.
- Update the Plugin: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to the “Plugins” section. Find the CSSIgniter Shortcodes plugin and update it to the latest available version.
- Verify the Update: After updating, verify that the plugin version is greater than 2.4.1.
- Consider a Security Audit: It is recommended to perform a thorough security audit of your WordPress site to identify and address any other potential vulnerabilities.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implementing a WAF can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks, even if the plugin hasn’t been updated yet.
