CVE-2025-11768: Islamic Phrases Plugin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-11768 Overview

CVE-2025-11768 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the Islamic Phrases plugin for WordPress. The flaw exists in the phrases shortcode attribute and impacts all versions up to and including 2.12.2015. Insufficient input sanitization and output escaping allow authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript. The injected script executes in the browser of any visitor who loads the affected page. The issue is tracked under CWE-79.

Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can persist arbitrary JavaScript in WordPress pages, enabling session theft, administrative account takeover, and malicious redirects for every subsequent visitor.

Affected Products

Islamic Phrases plugin for WordPress — all versions ≤ 2.12.2015
WordPress sites permitting contributor-level or higher registrations
Any site rendering the vulnerable phrases shortcode

Discovery Timeline

2025-11-21 - CVE-2025-11768 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-11768

Vulnerability Analysis

The Islamic Phrases plugin registers a WordPress shortcode that accepts a phrases attribute. The plugin passes the attribute value into the rendered page output without applying WordPress escaping functions such as esc_attr() or esc_html(). An authenticated attacker with contributor privileges can embed the shortcode in post content and supply an attribute value containing HTML or JavaScript payloads. When an editor, administrator, or site visitor loads the resulting page, the injected script executes under the site's origin. Successful exploitation supports session hijacking, credential harvesting via injected forms, forced administrative actions, and redirection to attacker-controlled infrastructure.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input sanitization and output escaping in the shortcode handler located in islamic-phrases.php. The plugin concatenates the user-controlled phrases attribute directly into the HTML response instead of routing it through WordPress's escaping APIs. See the WordPress Plugin Version File for the vulnerable code path.

Attack Vector

An attacker authenticates as a contributor, drafts a post containing the vulnerable shortcode with a JavaScript payload inside the phrases attribute, and submits it. When the post is previewed by a privileged reviewer or published and viewed by any user, the script executes in that user's browser session. Because the scope is changed (S:C), the payload can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, such as the WordPress admin dashboard.

No verified proof-of-concept code is published. See the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for additional technical detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-11768

Indicators of Compromise

Post or page content containing the plugin's shortcode with <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: payloads inside the phrases attribute.
Unexpected outbound requests from browsers rendering WordPress pages, particularly to unfamiliar third-party domains.
New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after a contributor-authored post is reviewed or published.

Detection Strategies

Query the wp_posts table for post_content values containing the Islamic Phrases shortcode combined with HTML event handlers or <script fragments.
Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects shortcode attribute values for encoded and raw JavaScript primitives.
Review WordPress audit logs for contributor accounts submitting posts that include shortcodes from this plugin.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor authentication events for new or dormant contributor accounts that begin publishing content.
Alert on Content Security Policy (CSP) violations reported by browsers loading pages that render the plugin's shortcode.
Track plugin file integrity and version metadata to confirm the installed release is patched.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-11768

Immediate Actions Required

Deactivate the Islamic Phrases plugin until a patched version is confirmed installed.
Audit existing posts and pages for the vulnerable shortcode and remove or sanitize any suspicious attribute values.
Rotate credentials for administrator accounts that may have viewed attacker-controlled content.
Restrict contributor-level registration and review approval workflows for untrusted authors.

Patch Information

No fixed version is listed in the NVD entry at the time of publication. All versions through 2.12.2015 are vulnerable. Monitor the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the plugin's WordPress.org listing for a released fix, and apply it immediately once available.

Workarounds

Remove the plugin from production sites if it is not business-critical.
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that blocks inline scripts and untrusted origins.
Limit shortcode usage by revoking the unfiltered_html and edit_posts capabilities from low-trust roles where feasible.

bash

# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate islamic-phrases
wp plugin delete islamic-phrases

# Search post content for the vulnerable shortcode
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title FROM wp_posts \
  WHERE post_content LIKE '%[phrases%' \
  AND (post_content LIKE '%<script%' OR post_content LIKE '%onerror=%');"