CVE-2025-22340 Overview
CVE-2025-22340 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Think201 Data Dash WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.2.3. It stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified as [CWE-79]. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject malicious JavaScript that persists in the application and executes in the browsers of other users viewing the affected pages.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in victim browsers, enabling session theft, administrative account compromise, and defacement of WordPress sites running Data Dash.
Affected Products
- Think201 Data Dash WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 1.2.3
- WordPress installations with the data-dash plugin enabled
- Sites where the plugin renders attacker-controlled input without sanitization
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-17 - CVE-2025-22340 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-22340
Vulnerability Analysis
The Data Dash plugin fails to sanitize input passed through one or more plugin-controlled fields before storing it and later rendering it into HTML output. Because the payload persists in the WordPress database, the plugin serves the malicious script to every user who loads the affected view. This makes stored XSS more impactful than reflected variants, since exploitation does not require social engineering per victim.
The issue changes the scope of the vulnerable component. A low-privileged contributor or editor can craft payloads that execute in the context of an administrator's session when the administrator visits a page rendering the tainted data. User interaction is required, meaning a victim must load the injected content for the payload to fire.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient output encoding when the plugin renders stored data into web pages. The plugin does not apply WordPress escaping functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() to fields that accept user input. Any HTML or JavaScript submitted through the vulnerable field is written verbatim into the DOM.
Attack Vector
Exploitation follows a standard stored XSS pattern. An authenticated user with plugin access submits a payload containing HTML script tags or event handler attributes into a Data Dash field. The plugin stores the raw input in the WordPress database. When another user loads the page that displays that field, the browser parses the attacker's markup as executable script and runs it under the origin of the WordPress site. Consult the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report for advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-22340
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or on* event handler attributes stored in Data Dash plugin database tables
- WordPress users reporting unusual browser behavior, redirects, or forced logouts when viewing dashboards
- New administrative users, changed passwords, or altered plugin/theme files following contributor activity
- Outbound requests from browser sessions to unfamiliar domains after loading Data Dash pages
Detection Strategies
- Query the WordPress database for Data Dash records containing <script, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: substrings
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to Data Dash administrative endpoints followed by GET requests from privileged users
- Deploy a Content Security Policy (CSP) in report-only mode to surface inline script execution on plugin-rendered pages
- Correlate low-privileged user submissions with subsequent administrative session anomalies
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor WordPress audit logs for content changes made by contributor and editor accounts targeting Data Dash
- Alert on creation of new administrator accounts or role changes shortly after Data Dash content edits
- Track browser telemetry for JavaScript errors and unexpected network calls originating from /wp-admin sessions
- Enable file integrity monitoring on wp-content/plugins/data-dash/ to detect tampering
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-22340
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations running the Data Dash plugin at version 1.2.3 or earlier
- Restrict plugin access to trusted, high-privilege users until a patched release is available
- Audit existing Data Dash entries for stored HTML or JavaScript payloads and remove suspicious content
- Rotate credentials and invalidate active sessions for administrators who may have viewed injected content
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the advisory lists the vulnerability as affecting Data Dash through version 1.2.3 with no fixed version enumerated in the NVD record. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin repository for a security release, and update immediately once available.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Data Dash plugin until a patched version is released
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and untrusted script sources
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules that block HTML and JavaScript payloads submitted to plugin endpoints
- Limit contributor and editor role assignments to reduce the population of accounts that can inject content
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
