CVE-2025-13497: Recras WordPress Plugin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13497 Overview

The Recras WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via the recrasname shortcode attribute in all versions up to, and including, 6.4.1. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping, allowing authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access and above to inject arbitrary web scripts into pages. These malicious scripts execute whenever a user accesses an injected page, potentially compromising site visitors and administrators alike.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the context of any user viewing the affected page, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of the WordPress site.

Affected Products

• Recras WordPress plugin versions up to and including 6.4.1
• WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the Recras plugin
• Any WordPress installation with Contributor-level or higher user access where the plugin is active

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-07 - CVE CVE-2025-13497 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13497

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting. The flaw exists in the OnlineBooking.php file at line 144, where user-supplied input through the recrasname shortcode attribute is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the page output.

Stored XSS vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because the malicious payload persists in the database and executes each time a user loads the affected page. Unlike reflected XSS, which requires tricking users into clicking malicious links, stored XSS attacks affect all visitors to the compromised page automatically.

The attack surface requires authenticated access at the Contributor level or higher, which in WordPress allows users to write and manage their own posts. This access level is commonly granted to guest bloggers, content creators, or community contributors, making the exploitation surface relatively broad in multi-author WordPress environments.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the processing of the recrasname shortcode attribute. The plugin fails to properly validate and escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into the HTML output, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that becomes part of the rendered page.

Proper mitigation would require implementing WordPress's built-in escaping functions such as esc_attr(), esc_html(), or wp_kses() to sanitize the shortcode attribute before output rendering.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires low privileges (Contributor-level WordPress access) with no user interaction needed for exploitation beyond page viewing. An attacker with Contributor access can create or edit a post containing the vulnerable shortcode with a malicious payload. Once the post is published or previewed, any user viewing that page will have the malicious script execute in their browser context.

The vulnerability allows attackers to potentially:

• Steal session cookies and authentication tokens
• Perform actions on behalf of logged-in users, including administrators
• Redirect users to malicious websites
• Deface website content
• Deploy keyloggers or other client-side malware

Technical details regarding the vulnerable code can be found in the WordPress Plugin Source Code.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13497

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected JavaScript code or <script> tags within post content using the Recras shortcode
• Suspicious recrasname attribute values containing encoded characters or script tags
• Unusual user activity from Contributor-level accounts creating posts with shortcodes
• Browser console errors or unexpected redirects when viewing pages with Recras embeds
• Reports from users about unexpected pop-ups or behavior on specific pages

Detection Strategies

• Audit all posts containing the [recras] shortcode for suspicious attribute values
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect XSS patterns in POST data
• Monitor WordPress database for shortcode attributes containing script tags or event handlers
• Review access logs for Contributor-level users creating or editing posts with shortcodes
• Deploy browser-based security tools that can detect and block XSS payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress security logging to track post modifications by Contributor-level users
• Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on common XSS payload patterns
• Regularly scan stored content for potentially malicious script injections
• Monitor for unusual outbound connections from client browsers that could indicate data exfiltration

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13497

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Recras WordPress plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• Audit existing posts for malicious content in Recras shortcode attributes
• Review Contributor-level user accounts and remove unnecessary access
• Consider temporarily disabling the plugin until the update can be applied
• Implement Content Security Policy headers to mitigate XSS impact

Patch Information

A security patch has been released addressing this vulnerability. The fix can be reviewed in the WordPress Changeset Update. Site administrators should update to the latest version of the Recras plugin through the WordPress admin panel or by manually downloading the updated plugin files.

For additional vulnerability details and tracking, refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Temporarily deactivate the Recras plugin until the patch can be applied
• Restrict Contributor-level access to trusted users only
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with XSS protection rules
• Add Content Security Policy headers to reduce XSS impact
• Manually review and sanitize any existing posts using Recras shortcodes

# Configuration example - Add CSP headers to wp-config.php or .htaccess
# Apache .htaccess example:
Header set Content-Security-Policy "script-src 'self'; object-src 'none';"

# Or in wp-config.php add this before "That's all, stop editing!":
# header("Content-Security-Policy: script-src 'self'; object-src 'none';");