CVE-2025-14579 Overview
A Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability has been identified in the Quiz Maker WordPress plugin versions prior to 6.7.0.89. The vulnerability exists due to improper sanitization and escaping of certain plugin settings, allowing authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application. This is particularly concerning in multisite WordPress configurations where the unfiltered_html capability is typically disabled, as this vulnerability bypasses that security control.
Critical Impact
High-privileged administrators can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of other users viewing affected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of the WordPress installation.
Affected Products
- Quiz Maker WordPress plugin versions before 6.7.0.89
- WordPress multisite installations with Quiz Maker plugin
- WordPress single-site installations using Quiz Maker plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-01-12 - CVE CVE-2025-14579 published to NVD
- 2026-01-13 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-14579
Vulnerability Analysis
This Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability affects the Quiz Maker WordPress plugin's settings handling functionality. The plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied input in certain configuration settings before storing them in the database and rendering them back to users. This creates a persistent XSS condition where malicious JavaScript code can be stored server-side and executed whenever the affected settings pages or quiz content is viewed by other users.
The vulnerability is particularly significant in WordPress multisite environments where the unfiltered_html capability is disabled by default for all users, including administrators. This security measure is intended to prevent administrators of individual sites within a multisite network from injecting arbitrary HTML and JavaScript. However, this vulnerability bypasses that protection, allowing malicious script injection through the Quiz Maker plugin settings regardless of the unfiltered_html capability status.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Quiz Maker plugin's settings management code. When administrators configure quiz settings, the plugin accepts and stores user input without adequately sanitizing it for potentially dangerous HTML and JavaScript content. Subsequently, when these settings are rendered in the WordPress admin interface or on frontend pages, the unsanitized content is output without proper escaping, allowing any embedded scripts to execute in the context of the viewing user's browser session.
Attack Vector
The attack requires network access and can be exploited by an authenticated user with high-level privileges (administrator role). The attacker would navigate to the Quiz Maker plugin settings within the WordPress admin dashboard and inject malicious JavaScript code into one of the vulnerable settings fields. Once saved, this malicious payload persists in the database and executes whenever the compromised settings page or affected quiz content is viewed by other authenticated users, including super administrators in multisite configurations.
The attack scenario involves an attacker injecting JavaScript payloads such as cookie stealers, keyloggers, or redirect scripts into the vulnerable settings fields. When a victim user with higher privileges (such as a super admin) accesses the affected page, the malicious script executes with their session context, potentially allowing the attacker to escalate privileges or exfiltrate sensitive information.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14579
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected JavaScript code or HTML tags present in Quiz Maker plugin database settings entries
- Suspicious script tags or event handlers in quiz configuration data within the wp_options table
- Browser console errors or unexpected network requests when viewing Quiz Maker settings or quizzes
- Reports from users about unexpected redirects or pop-ups when accessing quiz-related pages
Detection Strategies
- Review Quiz Maker plugin settings in the WordPress database for suspicious HTML or JavaScript content
- Monitor WordPress admin activity logs for unusual configuration changes to the Quiz Maker plugin
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect XSS payloads in POST requests to Quiz Maker settings endpoints
- Perform regular security audits of WordPress plugin configurations using security scanning tools
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable and review WordPress admin action logs to track settings modifications to the Quiz Maker plugin
- Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and prevent unauthorized script execution
- Configure browser-based XSS protection mechanisms as an additional defense layer
- Set up automated vulnerability scanning to identify outdated WordPress plugins
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14579
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Quiz Maker WordPress plugin to version 6.7.0.89 or later immediately
- Review existing Quiz Maker plugin settings for any suspicious or unexpected content
- Audit WordPress admin user accounts and remove unnecessary administrator privileges
- Consider temporarily disabling the Quiz Maker plugin if immediate update is not possible
Patch Information
The vulnerability has been addressed in Quiz Maker plugin version 6.7.0.89. Site administrators should update to this version or later through the WordPress plugin update mechanism. For detailed vulnerability information, refer to the WPScan Vulnerability Report.
Workarounds
- Restrict administrator access to only trusted users until the plugin can be updated
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS filtering capabilities to block malicious payloads
- Review and harden Content Security Policy headers to mitigate the impact of any successful XSS attacks
- Monitor plugin settings changes through WordPress activity logging plugins
# Configuration example - Update WordPress plugins via WP-CLI
wp plugin update quiz-maker --version=6.7.0.89
# Verify the current Quiz Maker plugin version
wp plugin list --name=quiz-maker --fields=name,version,status
# Review Quiz Maker related options for suspicious content
wp option list --search='*quiz*' --format=table
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
