CVE-2025-25154 Overview
CVE-2025-25154 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the scweber Custom Comment Notifications WordPress plugin that leads to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.8. An attacker can craft a malicious request that, when triggered by an authenticated administrator visiting an attacker-controlled page, injects persistent JavaScript into plugin-managed data. The stored payload then executes in the browser of any user who loads the affected page. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery and was published to the National Vulnerability Database on February 7, 2025.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation chains CSRF with Stored XSS, enabling attackers to hijack administrator sessions, modify site content, and pivot to broader WordPress compromise through a single tricked click.
Affected Products
- scweber Custom Comment Notifications plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.0.8 (inclusive)
- WordPress sites with the plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-07 - CVE-2025-25154 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-25154
Vulnerability Analysis
The Custom Comment Notifications plugin exposes administrative actions that modify plugin state without verifying the origin of the request. The plugin omits or improperly validates anti-CSRF tokens (WordPress nonces) on state-changing endpoints. An attacker hosts a page containing a forged form or JavaScript that submits a request to the vulnerable endpoint. When a logged-in administrator visits this page, the browser automatically attaches authentication cookies, and the request is processed with administrator privileges.
Because the affected endpoint also fails to sanitize or escape user-supplied input before persisting it, the attacker's payload is stored in the database. The payload then renders without proper output encoding, producing Stored XSS. The chain combines the trust relationship abused by CSRF with the persistence and reach of Stored XSS, allowing payloads to fire repeatedly against any visitor of the affected view.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing CSRF protection on plugin actions that accept user-controlled content, compounded by inadequate input sanitization and output escaping. WordPress provides wp_nonce_field(), check_admin_referer(), and the wp_kses family for safe handling. The plugin fails to apply these consistently in versions up to 1.0.8.
Attack Vector
The attack requires network access and user interaction. An attacker lures an authenticated administrator to a malicious page using phishing or watering-hole techniques. The page issues a forged request to the vulnerable WordPress endpoint. The malicious payload is persisted server-side and executes in any subsequent visitor's browser context, including other administrators. The vulnerability is described in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25154
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: strings in plugin configuration fields or comment notification templates
- Outbound requests from administrator browsers to unknown domains after visiting wp-admin pages
- New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after an admin session
- HTTP referrers in access logs showing wp-admin POST requests originating from external domains
Detection Strategies
- Inventory WordPress installations and flag any running Custom Comment Notifications version <= 1.0.8
- Scan the wp_options and plugin-specific database tables for stored HTML/JavaScript content
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to plugin endpoints with off-site Referer headers
- Deploy a web application firewall rule to alert on suspicious payloads in plugin parameters
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to capture administrative configuration changes and the user responsible
- Monitor file integrity for wp-content/plugins/custom-comment-notifications/
- Alert on creation of new administrator-level accounts or role escalations
- Track anomalous JavaScript execution and outbound beacons from browser sessions inside the admin console
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25154
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running Custom Comment Notifications version 1.0.8 or earlier
- Deactivate and remove the plugin until a patched version is confirmed available
- Audit administrator accounts and rotate credentials for any account active during the exposure window
- Review plugin-stored content and the comment notification templates for injected scripts
Patch Information
At the time of NVD publication, no fixed version above 1.0.8 was listed. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org page for a security release. Apply the update as soon as the maintainer publishes a patched version that adds nonce verification and proper output escaping.
Workarounds
- Remove the plugin from production sites until a fixed release is available
- Restrict wp-admin access by IP allow-listing to reduce CSRF exposure for administrators
- Require administrators to use a separate browser profile or session isolation when working in wp-admin
- Deploy a web application firewall ruleset that enforces same-origin checks on POST requests to /wp-admin/
# Configuration example: identify and disable the affected plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=custom-comment-notifications --fields=name,status,version
wp plugin deactivate custom-comment-notifications
wp plugin delete custom-comment-notifications
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
