CVE-2025-24566: dp-intro-tours Reflected XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24566 Overview

CVE-2025-24566 is a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the Intro Tour Tutorial DeepPresentation WordPress plugin (dp-intro-tours) developed by Tomáš Groulík. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims.

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation). Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing JavaScript payloads that execute in the context of authenticated user sessions when victims click the compromised links.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this Reflected XSS vulnerability to steal session cookies, hijack user accounts, perform unauthorized actions, and potentially compromise WordPress administrator sessions, leading to full site takeover.

Affected Products

• Intro Tour Tutorial DeepPresentation WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 6.5.2
• WordPress sites using the dp-intro-tours plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-14 - CVE-2025-24566 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24566

Vulnerability Analysis

This Reflected XSS vulnerability occurs when the Intro Tour Tutorial DeepPresentation plugin fails to properly sanitize user-controlled input before rendering it in the browser. The plugin processes URL parameters or form inputs without adequate encoding or validation, allowing malicious JavaScript code to be reflected back to users and executed within their browser context.

When a user clicks a specially crafted malicious link, the vulnerable plugin echoes the attacker-controlled input directly into the HTML response without proper escaping. This allows arbitrary JavaScript to execute with the same privileges as the victim user, potentially compromising administrative accounts on WordPress installations.

The vulnerability requires user interaction, as the victim must click a malicious link or visit a compromised page containing the attack payload. However, social engineering techniques and phishing campaigns can effectively deliver these payloads to target users.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-24566 is insufficient input validation and output encoding in the dp-intro-tours plugin. The vulnerable code path fails to implement proper HTML entity encoding, Content Security Policy headers, or input sanitization functions before rendering user-supplied data in the browser.

WordPress provides built-in sanitization functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses() that should be applied to all user-controlled output. The plugin's failure to utilize these security measures or equivalent encoding routines creates the XSS attack surface.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication from the attacker but necessitating user interaction from the victim. A typical attack scenario involves:

1. The attacker crafts a malicious URL containing JavaScript payload targeting the vulnerable plugin parameter
2. The attacker distributes the malicious link via phishing emails, social media, or compromised websites
3. When a victim clicks the link, the vulnerable plugin reflects the JavaScript payload into the page
4. The malicious script executes in the victim's browser with their session privileges
5. The attacker can steal session cookies, perform CSRF attacks, or inject additional malicious content

The vulnerability allows attackers to potentially escalate access if WordPress administrators visit the malicious links, enabling actions such as creating rogue admin accounts, modifying site content, or installing malicious plugins.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24566

Indicators of Compromise

• Suspicious URL parameters containing encoded JavaScript payloads (e.g., <script>, javascript:, onerror=)
• Web server logs showing requests with XSS attack patterns targeting dp-intro-tours plugin endpoints
• Unusual cookie exfiltration attempts or unexpected outbound connections from user browsers
• Reports from users about unexpected browser behavior or redirects when accessing the WordPress site

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS payloads in URL parameters and request bodies
• Monitor web server access logs for suspicious patterns including encoded script tags, event handlers, and JavaScript URIs
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict inline script execution and report violations
• Use browser-based XSS detection tools and security scanners to identify vulnerable endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the WordPress site to capture all incoming requests with full query string parameters
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on XSS signature patterns in HTTP traffic
• Set up automated vulnerability scanning to regularly check for known WordPress plugin vulnerabilities
• Monitor security advisory feeds from Patchstack and WordPress security teams for updates on this vulnerability

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24566

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Intro Tour Tutorial DeepPresentation plugin to a patched version when available from the developer
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily disabling the dp-intro-tours plugin until a security update is released
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS protection rules to filter malicious requests
• Add Content Security Policy headers to restrict inline JavaScript execution as a defense-in-depth measure

Patch Information

A patched version addressing CVE-2025-24566 should be obtained from the plugin developer. Site administrators should monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for updates on patch availability and remediation guidance.

When updating WordPress plugins, always verify the update source is legitimate and back up the site before applying changes.

Workarounds

• Disable the dp-intro-tours plugin entirely if it is not essential for site functionality
• Implement strict Content Security Policy headers with script-src 'self' to prevent inline script execution
• Deploy a WAF or WordPress security plugin with XSS filtering capabilities to block malicious payloads
• Restrict access to the WordPress admin area using IP whitelisting or VPN requirements to reduce attack surface

# Example Apache .htaccess CSP configuration
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
    Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline';"
    Header set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"
    Header set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"
</IfModule>