CVE-2025-14039 Overview
CVE-2025-14039 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] in the Simple Folio plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.1.1. It stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on the _simple_folio_item_client_name and _simple_folio_item_link meta fields. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript into portfolio pages. The injected payload executes in the browser of any user who views the affected page.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can store JavaScript payloads that run in visitors' browsers, enabling session theft, redirect attacks, and account takeover against higher-privileged users including administrators.
Affected Products
- Simple Folio plugin for WordPress, all versions through 1.1.1
- WordPress sites that grant Contributor-level or higher accounts
- Public-facing portfolio pages rendered by single-simple-folio.php
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-28 - CVE-2025-14039 published to NVD
- 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-14039
Vulnerability Analysis
The Simple Folio plugin renders portfolio entries through its single-simple-folio.php template. The template reads two post meta fields, _simple_folio_item_client_name and _simple_folio_item_link, and outputs them directly into the HTML response. According to the vendor source references at lines 70 and 76 of the template, these values are emitted without an escaping function such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or esc_url().
Because WordPress Contributors can edit their own posts and the associated meta fields, an attacker with that role can store JavaScript in either meta value. When any visitor, including an administrator previewing the post, loads the rendered portfolio page, the script executes in their browser. The scope change in the impact metrics reflects that injected scripts run beyond the plugin's own context inside the WordPress site.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output escaping on user-controlled post meta. The template trusts values written by editors and prints them into HTML markup and attribute contexts. WordPress does not automatically sanitize meta field input, so the plugin is responsible for escaping at render time.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to the WordPress site using a Contributor or higher account. The attacker creates or edits a Simple Folio item and supplies a malicious payload in the client name or link meta field. The payload is persisted in the database. When a user requests the corresponding portfolio page, the server returns the unescaped value, and the browser executes the script under the site's origin.
No specific exploit code is published in the referenced advisories. Technical context is available in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the WordPress plugin template source.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14039
Indicators of Compromise
- Post meta entries for _simple_folio_item_client_name or _simple_folio_item_link containing <script>, javascript:, onerror=, or onload= substrings.
- Unexpected outbound requests from administrator browsers to attacker-controlled domains immediately after viewing portfolio pages.
- New or modified WordPress users with elevated roles following Contributor logins to the site.
Detection Strategies
- Query the wp_postmeta table for the affected meta keys and inspect values for HTML tags, event handlers, or unexpected URI schemes.
- Review web server access logs for portfolio page responses containing reflected script content or referrers pointing to administrative dashboards.
- Monitor WordPress audit logs for Contributor accounts editing Simple Folio custom post types in unusual patterns.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) reporting to capture script execution from unexpected origins or inline contexts.
- Alert on creation or modification of Simple Folio items by accounts that have not previously published portfolio content.
- Track administrator session activity following visits to public portfolio URLs and correlate with sudden role or password changes.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14039
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Simple Folio plugin to a version newer than 1.1.1 once the maintainer publishes a fix, per the WordPress changeset record.
- Audit existing Simple Folio posts and remove any meta values containing HTML tags or script content.
- Review Contributor and Author accounts and disable any that are unused or unverified.
Patch Information
The vendor advisory references a WordPress.org changeset that addresses the unescaped output in single-simple-folio.php. Site operators should upgrade to the patched release once available and confirm that the template applies esc_html() or esc_url() to the affected meta fields. The Wordfence Vulnerability Report tracks fix status.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the Simple Folio plugin until a patched version is installed.
- Restrict Contributor and Author role assignments to trusted users only and require multi-factor authentication on all editorial accounts.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that strips <script> tags and JavaScript event handlers from POST requests targeting /wp-admin/post.php for Simple Folio custom post types.
# Configuration example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI until patched
wp plugin deactivate simple-folio
wp option get active_plugins
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
