CVE-2025-23934 Overview
CVE-2025-23934 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Giveaways and Contests by PromoSimple WordPress plugin developed by Sam Brodie. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.24. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute when other users, including administrators, view the affected pages. The issue is tracked as [CWE-79] and requires user interaction to trigger, but it crosses a security scope boundary once the payload is stored.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can persist malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors and administrators, enabling session theft, account takeover, and further compromise of the WordPress site.
Affected Products
- Giveaways and Contests by PromoSimple WordPress plugin (giveaways-contests-by-promosimple)
- All versions from initial release through 1.24
- WordPress sites with the plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-16 - CVE-2025-23934 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-23934
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a stored Cross-Site Scripting flaw in the Giveaways and Contests by PromoSimple plugin. The plugin fails to properly neutralize user-supplied input before rendering it in generated web pages. An authenticated user with low privileges can submit crafted input containing HTML or JavaScript that the plugin persists in the WordPress database.
When an administrator, editor, or site visitor later loads a page that renders this stored content, the injected script executes in the victim's browser under the site's origin. Because the attack crosses a scope boundary, the payload can affect users with higher privileges than the attacker. Full technical details are available in the Patchstack advisory.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation, classified under [CWE-79]. The plugin does not apply sufficient output encoding or input sanitization on fields controlled by authenticated users before those values are stored and rendered as part of the page HTML.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and an authenticated account with low privileges. The attacker submits a payload through a plugin-controlled input field. User interaction is required: a victim must visit a page that renders the stored payload. Successful exploitation can lead to session hijacking, credential theft via forged forms, unauthorized administrative actions performed in the victim's session, and delivery of secondary payloads to site visitors.
No verified public exploit code is available for this vulnerability. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for additional context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23934
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, <iframe>, or on* event handler attributes stored in plugin database tables or post content.
- Outbound requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains shortly after loading pages that include PromoSimple giveaway content.
- New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created without a corresponding legitimate audit trail.
- Session cookies for privileged accounts observed on unexpected client IP addresses.
Detection Strategies
- Audit database entries associated with the giveaways-contests-by-promosimple plugin for HTML tags or JavaScript in fields expected to hold plain text.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that inspects POST parameters submitted to plugin endpoints for XSS payload patterns.
- Enable a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) in report-only mode to surface unexpected inline script execution on affected pages.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Log and review all authenticated form submissions to plugin-controlled endpoints, correlating source accounts with role changes.
- Alert on WordPress user_meta or usermeta changes that grant elevated capabilities immediately after a low-privileged user submits plugin content.
- Monitor administrator session activity for anomalous API calls, plugin installations, or theme edits following page views of contest content.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23934
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running Giveaways and Contests by PromoSimple version 1.24 or earlier.
- Restrict contributor and author account creation until a patched version is available and installed.
- Review existing plugin content for injected scripts and remove any suspicious entries.
- Rotate credentials and invalidate active sessions for administrator accounts that may have loaded compromised pages.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the advisory lists the vulnerability as affecting versions up to and including 1.24. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the WordPress plugin repository for a fixed release and apply it as soon as it becomes available.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Giveaways and Contests by PromoSimple plugin until a patched version is released.
- Apply a WAF rule that blocks HTML and JavaScript payloads submitted to plugin-controlled input parameters.
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins.
- Limit plugin-related capabilities to trusted user roles and disable open registration where feasible.
# Configuration example: deactivate the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate giveaways-contests-by-promosimple
wp plugin delete giveaways-contests-by-promosimple
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.