CVE-2025-25148: Read More Copy Link CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-25148 Overview

CVE-2025-25148 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the ElbowRobo Read More Copy Link WordPress plugin that enables attackers to inject stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) payloads. This chained vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to trick authenticated administrators into unknowingly submitting malicious requests that persist XSS payloads within the plugin's settings or content areas.

Critical Impact

Attackers can leverage CSRF to inject persistent malicious scripts that execute in the context of any user viewing affected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, administrative account compromise, and website defacement.

Affected Products

• WordPress Read More Copy Link plugin version 1.0.2 and earlier
• All WordPress installations utilizing vulnerable versions of the read-more-copy-link plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-07 - CVE-2025-25148 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-25148

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a dangerous chained attack where Cross-Site Request Forgery serves as the initial attack vector to deliver Stored Cross-Site Scripting payloads. The Read More Copy Link plugin fails to implement proper CSRF token validation on administrative actions, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that administrators unknowingly execute when visiting attacker-controlled pages.

The attack requires user interaction—specifically, an authenticated administrator must be tricked into visiting a malicious page or clicking a crafted link while logged into WordPress. Once the CSRF attack succeeds, the injected XSS payload becomes persistently stored within the plugin's configuration or database entries, executing whenever any user subsequently accesses the affected content.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery), which identifies improper verification of request origins as the fundamental security weakness.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of proper nonce verification or CSRF token validation in the plugin's administrative form handlers. WordPress provides built-in functions such as wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() for CSRF protection, but the Read More Copy Link plugin fails to implement these security controls adequately on state-changing operations. Additionally, user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being stored in the database, enabling the stored XSS component of the attack chain.

Attack Vector

The attack follows a network-based vector requiring user interaction. An attacker constructs a malicious HTML page containing a hidden form that targets the vulnerable plugin's administrative endpoint. When an authenticated WordPress administrator visits this malicious page, their browser automatically submits the form with their valid session credentials.

The form payload contains JavaScript code that gets stored in the plugin's settings. Since the plugin also lacks proper output encoding, this stored script executes whenever the affected content is rendered, impacting both administrators and regular site visitors. The scope change indicated in the vulnerability assessment means that the attack can affect resources beyond the vulnerable plugin itself, potentially compromising the entire WordPress installation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25148

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to the Read More Copy Link plugin settings or configuration
• Presence of JavaScript code within plugin database entries or options
• Reports from users about unusual browser behavior or unexpected redirects when viewing site content
• Administrative action logs showing configuration changes not initiated by known administrators

Detection Strategies

• Review WordPress wp_options table for unusual entries related to the read-more-copy-link plugin containing script tags or encoded JavaScript
• Monitor HTTP request logs for POST requests to plugin administrative endpoints originating from external referrers
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and monitor for policy violations that may indicate XSS execution attempts
• Use WordPress security plugins to scan for stored malicious scripts in plugin configurations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and regularly audit WordPress administrative action logs for unauthorized configuration changes
• Implement real-time monitoring for changes to plugin settings tables in the WordPress database
• Configure web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and alert on potential CSRF attack patterns
• Monitor browser console errors in staging environments that may indicate CSP violations from injected scripts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25148

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the Read More Copy Link plugin (read-more-copy-link) from all WordPress installations immediately
• Audit existing plugin configurations and database entries for signs of injected malicious scripts
• Review WordPress administrative user sessions and force password resets if compromise is suspected
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with CSRF and XSS protection rules

Patch Information

As of the last available information, versions through 1.0.2 remain vulnerable. Administrators should check the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest update status and verify if a patched version has been released by the plugin developer before considering reinstallation.

Workarounds

• Remove the Read More Copy Link plugin entirely until a patched version is available
• If plugin functionality is essential, restrict administrative access to trusted networks only using IP-based access controls
• Implement browser-based CSRF protection extensions for administrators who must access the WordPress dashboard
• Deploy Content Security Policy headers with strict script-src directives to mitigate the impact of any stored XSS payloads

# WordPress wp-config.php - Add security headers
# Add the following to your theme's functions.php or a security plugin

# Example .htaccess rules to add security headers
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
    Header always set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"
    Header always set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"
    Header always set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"
    Header always set Content-Security-Policy "script-src 'self'"
</IfModule>