CVE-2025-24564: Contact Form With Shortcode XSS Flaw

CVE-2025-24564 Overview

CVE-2025-24564 is a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the Contact Form With Shortcode WordPress plugin developed by aviplugins.com. This vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of a victim's browser session.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this reflected XSS vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface web pages, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users visiting a crafted malicious link.

Affected Products

• Contact Form With Shortcode WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 4.2.5
• WordPress installations using the vulnerable plugin version
• Websites with the contact-form-with-shortcode plugin installed

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-14 - CVE-2025-24564 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24564

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The reflected XSS variant occurs when the application includes unvalidated and unescaped user input as part of HTML output. In this case, the Contact Form With Shortcode plugin fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it back to the browser.

When a victim clicks on a specially crafted URL containing malicious JavaScript code, the vulnerable plugin reflects this input directly into the page without adequate encoding or sanitization. The malicious script then executes within the victim's browser with the same privileges as the legitimate web application.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the plugin's failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The Contact Form With Shortcode plugin processes user-controlled parameters and includes them in the HTML response without applying necessary security controls such as HTML entity encoding, JavaScript escaping, or Content Security Policy headers.

WordPress plugins that handle form data are particularly susceptible to XSS vulnerabilities when developers fail to utilize WordPress's built-in sanitization functions like esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() for user-supplied content.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this reflected XSS vulnerability requires user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious URL containing JavaScript payload and distributes it via phishing emails, social media, or compromised websites. When a logged-in WordPress administrator or user clicks the link, the malicious script executes in their browser context.

The malicious script embedded in the URL parameter is processed by the vulnerable plugin and reflected back in the HTTP response, causing the victim's browser to execute the attacker's code. This can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or administrative account compromise if the victim has elevated privileges.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24564

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual URL parameters containing JavaScript code patterns such as <script>, javascript:, or event handlers like onerror=, onload=
• Unexpected outbound connections from user browsers to unknown external domains
• Reports from users about unexpected redirects or suspicious behavior after clicking links
• Web application firewall logs showing blocked XSS patterns targeting plugin endpoints

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS payloads in URL parameters
• Enable browser Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict inline script execution
• Monitor server access logs for suspicious query strings containing encoded script tags or JavaScript protocols
• Implement intrusion detection rules for XSS attack patterns targeting WordPress plugin endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review WordPress access logs for requests to Contact Form With Shortcode plugin endpoints with suspicious parameters
• Configure alerting for failed CSP violations that may indicate XSS exploitation attempts
• Monitor user session activity for anomalous behavior following interaction with external links
• Enable WordPress security plugin logging to track potential exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24564

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Contact Form With Shortcode plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily deactivating the plugin until a fix is released
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to filter XSS payloads targeting the vulnerable plugin
• Review recent access logs for evidence of exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Users should check the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patching guidance and update information. Upgrade from vulnerable versions (<= 4.2.5) to a patched release as soon as one becomes available from the plugin developer.

Workarounds

• Disable the Contact Form With Shortcode plugin until a security patch is released
• Implement strict Content Security Policy headers to mitigate script execution from reflected payloads
• Use a WordPress security plugin with real-time XSS protection capabilities
• Consider replacing the plugin with an alternative contact form solution that has been recently audited for security vulnerabilities

# WordPress CLI command to deactivate the vulnerable plugin
wp plugin deactivate contact-form-with-shortcode

# Add CSP header to .htaccess as a temporary mitigation
# Add the following to your Apache configuration
Header set Content-Security-Policy "script-src 'self'; object-src 'none';"