CVE-2025-23808: Custom List Table Example CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-23808 Overview

CVE-2025-23808 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Custom List Table Example WordPress plugin developed by Dutch van Andel. This vulnerability enables attackers to chain CSRF with Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), allowing malicious actors to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of an authenticated user's browser session.

Critical Impact

This chained CSRF-to-XSS vulnerability allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated WordPress administrators and potentially steal session credentials, modify site content, or inject malicious scripts.

Affected Products

• Custom List Table Example WordPress Plugin version 1.4.1 and earlier
• WordPress installations using the custom-list-table-example plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-01-16 - CVE-2025-23808 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-23808

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a combination of two distinct web application security flaws working in tandem. The Custom List Table Example plugin fails to implement proper CSRF token validation on critical form submissions and administrative actions. When combined with insufficient input sanitization, this creates a pathway for Reflected XSS attacks.

The vulnerability specifically impacts WordPress administrators who interact with the plugin's administrative interface. An attacker can craft a malicious link or form that, when clicked by an authenticated administrator, submits a request containing JavaScript payload without proper validation. Since the plugin reflects user-supplied input without adequate encoding, the malicious script executes within the victim's browser context.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is twofold:

1. Missing CSRF Protection: The plugin does not properly implement WordPress nonce verification on form submissions and AJAX handlers. WordPress provides built-in CSRF protection through nonces (wp_nonce_field() and wp_verify_nonce()), but the plugin fails to utilize these security mechanisms consistently.

2. Insufficient Output Encoding: User-supplied input is reflected back in the HTML response without proper sanitization using functions like esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses(), allowing JavaScript code to execute in the browser.

Attack Vector

The attack exploits the lack of CSRF protection to trick authenticated administrators into submitting crafted requests. The attack typically follows this pattern:

1. Attacker crafts a malicious URL or hidden form containing XSS payload
2. Attacker tricks the WordPress administrator into clicking the link or visiting a page with the hidden form
3. The browser automatically includes the administrator's session cookies with the forged request
4. The plugin processes the request without CSRF validation
5. The malicious JavaScript payload is reflected back and executes in the administrator's browser
6. The attacker can now perform actions as the administrator, steal session tokens, or modify site content

Since no verified code examples are available, organizations should refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for detailed technical analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23808

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected administrative actions in WordPress audit logs without corresponding legitimate user activity
• Suspicious HTTP requests to the plugin's endpoints containing encoded JavaScript or HTML tags
• Browser console errors or unexpected script execution on plugin administrative pages
• Reports of unusual pop-ups or redirects when using the Custom List Table Example plugin interface

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing suspicious URL-encoded JavaScript patterns (%3Cscript%3E, javascript:, onerror=)
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting WordPress plugins
• Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict inline script execution and detect policy violations
• Use WordPress security plugins that monitor for CSRF and XSS attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on WordPress and review the wp-content/debug.log file for suspicious activity
• Configure real-time alerting for administrative user actions that don't correlate with expected behavior patterns
• Implement browser-based XSS detection through CSP violation reporting endpoints
• Regularly audit installed plugins against vulnerability databases like Patchstack and WPScan

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23808

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the Custom List Table Example plugin (custom-list-table-example) from WordPress installations immediately
• Review WordPress user activity logs for any unauthorized administrative actions
• Force logout all administrative sessions and require password resets for admin accounts
• Scan the WordPress installation for any malicious content or backdoors that may have been injected

Patch Information

At the time of this writing, the vulnerability affects Custom List Table Example version 1.4.1 and all prior versions. Organizations should check the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for updates on patch availability. If no patch is available, consider removing the plugin entirely and seeking alternative solutions.

Workarounds

• Remove the vulnerable plugin from production WordPress installations until a patched version is released
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules specifically designed to block CSRF and XSS attack vectors
• Restrict access to the WordPress admin area by IP address or VPN-only access to reduce exposure
• Deploy the SentinelOne Singularity Platform for endpoint protection to detect and block malicious script execution attempts

# WordPress CLI command to deactivate the vulnerable plugin
wp plugin deactivate custom-list-table-example --path=/var/www/html/wordpress

# Verify plugin is deactivated
wp plugin list --status=inactive --path=/var/www/html/wordpress | grep custom-list-table-example

# Optional: Remove the plugin entirely
wp plugin delete custom-list-table-example --path=/var/www/html/wordpress