CVE-2025-11769 Overview
CVE-2025-11769 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] in the WordPress Content Flipper plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 0.1. Attackers with contributor-level access or above can inject arbitrary JavaScript through the bgcolor attribute of the flipper_front shortcode. The injected payload executes in the browser of any user who visits an affected page. Insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the shortcode handler enable the injection.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can persist JavaScript in pages, enabling session theft, account takeover of higher-privileged users, and delivery of secondary payloads through the WordPress site.
Affected Products
- WordPress Content Flipper plugin (wp-flipper)
- All versions up to and including 0.1
- WordPress sites permitting contributor-level user registration or accounts
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-13 - CVE-2025-11769 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in the NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-11769
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Content Flipper plugin's flipper_front shortcode handler. The handler accepts a bgcolor attribute and writes it into rendered HTML output without sanitizing input or escaping output. A contributor authoring a post or page can supply a bgcolor value that breaks out of the intended attribute context and injects arbitrary script content.
Because the payload is stored in post content, it persists across sessions and executes for every visitor rendering the affected page. This includes administrators viewing the post in preview or on the front end. The stored nature elevates the risk beyond reflected XSS, since exploitation does not depend on tricking a target into clicking a crafted link.
Reviewers can inspect the vulnerable code paths at lines 144 and 258 of wp-flipper.php in the plugin source at tag 0.1.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing input sanitization on the bgcolor shortcode attribute combined with missing output escaping when the attribute is rendered into HTML. The plugin does not apply sanitize_hex_color(), esc_attr(), or an equivalent WordPress escaping function to the attribute value before emission. Any string a contributor supplies is trusted as safe HTML.
Attack Vector
An attacker with contributor privileges or higher creates or edits a post containing the flipper_front shortcode. The bgcolor attribute carries a payload that terminates the HTML attribute and injects a <script> element or an event handler. When an administrator or visitor loads the page, the browser executes the payload in the site's origin. Consult the Wordfence vulnerability report for additional technical detail on the injection pattern.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-11769
Indicators of Compromise
- Post or page content containing flipper_front shortcodes with bgcolor values that include quote characters, angle brackets, or on* event handler substrings.
- Unexpected outbound requests from browsers loading WordPress pages, especially to attacker-controlled domains referenced in stored script payloads.
- New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after a contributor account edits pages containing the vulnerable shortcode.
Detection Strategies
- Query the wp_posts table for post content matching regular expressions targeting flipper_front shortcodes with suspicious bgcolor values.
- Review WordPress audit logs for contributor-level users creating or editing posts that reference the Content Flipper plugin's shortcodes.
- Inspect web server access logs for administrators loading pages that immediately trigger anomalous outbound calls consistent with XSS payload execution.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to record shortcode changes and post revisions by lower-privileged accounts.
- Monitor for privilege escalation events, such as role changes and new administrator creation, following contributor activity.
- Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers in report-only mode to surface unexpected inline script execution originating from post content.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-11769
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the WordPress Content Flipper plugin until a patched release is verified.
- Audit all posts and pages for flipper_front shortcode usage and remove suspicious bgcolor attribute values.
- Restrict contributor account provisioning and review existing accounts for legitimacy.
- Force password rotation for administrators who accessed pages containing the vulnerable shortcode.
Patch Information
No fixed version is listed in the enriched CVE data. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 0.1. Monitor the WordPress plugin repository and the Wordfence advisory for an updated release.
Workarounds
- Remove the Content Flipper plugin from production sites and replace it with an actively maintained alternative.
- Restrict the unfiltered_html capability and limit shortcode-authoring roles to trusted editors and administrators.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks POST requests containing flipper_front shortcodes with non-hex characters in the bgcolor attribute.
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and unsanctioned external script sources.
# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate wp-flipper
wp plugin delete wp-flipper
# Search post content for suspicious shortcode usage
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content REGEXP 'flipper_front[^]]*bgcolor=\"[^\"]*[<>\"]'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
