CVE-2025-23577 Overview
CVE-2025-23577 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Word Freshener WordPress plugin developed by Sourov Amin. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin from initial release through 1.3. An attacker can leverage the missing CSRF protections to trick an authenticated administrator into submitting a forged request that injects malicious JavaScript. The injected payload is stored persistently and executes when other users visit the affected page, resulting in Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery.
Critical Impact
A successful attack chains CSRF with Stored XSS, enabling persistent script execution in the browsers of administrators and site visitors, with potential for session theft, account takeover, and site defacement.
Affected Products
- Sourov Amin Word Freshener plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 1.3 (inclusive)
- WordPress sites with the Word Freshener plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-16 - CVE-2025-23577 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-23577
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability combines two distinct weaknesses into a single exploit chain. First, the Word Freshener plugin fails to validate the origin of state-changing HTTP requests, omitting WordPress nonce checks that would normally bind a request to an authenticated session. Second, user-supplied input processed through those unprotected endpoints is stored without sanitization and later rendered without output encoding, producing Stored XSS.
An attacker hosts a malicious page containing a crafted form or JavaScript that targets the vulnerable plugin endpoint. When a logged-in WordPress administrator visits the attacker's page, the browser automatically attaches authentication cookies and submits the forged request. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and persists the attacker-controlled payload in the database.
Because the attack requires user interaction (UI:R) and crosses a security scope (S:C), the impact extends from the administrator to any user who later views the injected content.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of CSRF tokens or wp_verify_nonce() checks on plugin actions that modify persistent state. Combined with missing input sanitization through functions such as sanitize_text_field() or wp_kses(), the plugin accepts and stores raw HTML and JavaScript from forged requests.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated administrator to visit an attacker-controlled web page while logged into the WordPress admin interface. No credentials are required from the attacker. The forged request submits XSS payloads that are stored in the plugin's configuration or content storage. Subsequent page loads execute the payload in the context of the WordPress origin, providing the attacker access to cookies, session tokens, and the WordPress REST API.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23577
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, or onload attributes embedded in Word Freshener plugin settings or stored content
- Outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar external domains shortly after visiting the WordPress admin
- New or modified administrator accounts created without a corresponding authorized change request
- WordPress audit log entries showing plugin option updates without an associated wp-admin referrer
Detection Strategies
- Inspect the wp_options table and Word Freshener-related rows for HTML or JavaScript content where plain text is expected
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to Word Freshener endpoints lacking a same-origin Referer header
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that flags requests to plugin admin endpoints missing valid WordPress nonces
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to record all option and plugin setting changes with user attribution
- Monitor browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script execution on admin pages
- Alert on administrator session activity originating from unusual IP addresses or geolocations
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23577
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Word Freshener plugin until a patched release is verified by the vendor
- Audit all Word Freshener configuration entries and remove any stored HTML or script content
- Force a password reset for all WordPress administrator accounts and invalidate active sessions
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no fixed version of the Word Freshener plugin has been confirmed beyond 1.3. Review the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest vendor advisory status and apply any subsequent release immediately upon availability.
Workarounds
- Remove the plugin entirely if a patched version is not available
- Restrict WordPress admin access to known IP addresses through .htaccess or a WAF policy
- Implement a strict Content Security Policy header to block inline script execution on admin pages
- Require administrators to use a dedicated browser profile that is not used for general web browsing
# Configuration example: remove the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate word-freshener
wp plugin delete word-freshener
# Optional: add a restrictive CSP header in wp-config.php or via .htaccess
# Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
