CVE-2025-27271: DB Tables Import/Export XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27271 Overview

CVE-2025-27271 is a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the WordPress DB Tables Import/Export plugin developed by Alberto Cocchiara. This vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of a victim's browser session.

The vulnerability enables attackers to craft malicious URLs containing JavaScript payloads that, when clicked by authenticated WordPress administrators, can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the WordPress administrative interface.

Critical Impact

Attackers can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the browsers of WordPress administrators, potentially leading to full site compromise through session hijacking or administrative account takeover.

Affected Products

• WordPress DB Tables Import/Export plugin version 1.0.1 and earlier
• All WordPress installations running vulnerable versions of db-tables-importexport

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-03 - CVE-2025-27271 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27271

Vulnerability Analysis

This Reflected XSS vulnerability (CWE-79) exists in the DB Tables Import/Export WordPress plugin through version 1.0.1. The plugin fails to properly sanitize user-controlled input before reflecting it back in HTTP responses. When an administrator interacts with a specially crafted URL, the malicious payload is executed within their browser context with full access to the WordPress session.

The attack requires user interaction, specifically an administrator must click a malicious link. However, social engineering techniques can make this attack highly effective, particularly against site administrators who may receive links appearing to be legitimate WordPress notifications or support requests.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-27271 is the failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. Specifically, the plugin does not sanitize or escape user-supplied parameters before including them in the rendered HTML output. WordPress provides built-in escaping functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses() that should be used to prevent XSS attacks, but these protections were not implemented in the affected code paths.

Attack Vector

The attack vector involves crafting a malicious URL containing JavaScript payloads in vulnerable parameter fields. An attacker would:

1. Identify the vulnerable parameter in the DB Tables Import/Export plugin interface
2. Craft a URL containing malicious JavaScript that executes when the page loads
3. Distribute the malicious URL to WordPress administrators via phishing emails, forum posts, or other social engineering techniques
4. When an authenticated administrator clicks the link, the JavaScript executes in their browser context
5. The attacker's script can then steal session cookies, perform administrative actions, or redirect to malicious sites

Since this is a reflected XSS attack, the malicious payload is not stored on the server but is instead reflected back to the user through the manipulated URL parameters.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27271

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual JavaScript execution in WordPress admin pages related to DB Tables Import/Export functionality
• Suspicious URL parameters containing encoded script tags or JavaScript event handlers in server access logs
• Unexpected session cookie exfiltration attempts from administrator browsers
• Administrative actions performed without corresponding legitimate admin activity

Detection Strategies

• Review web server access logs for requests to the DB Tables Import/Export plugin endpoints containing suspicious parameters such as <script>, javascript:, or encoded variants
• Monitor for outbound connections from administrator browsers to unknown external domains during plugin usage
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block inline script execution attempts
• Use WordPress security plugins that provide XSS attack detection and logging capabilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all WordPress administrative actions and correlate with user activity
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS detection rules to identify and block malicious requests
• Monitor for unusual patterns in administrator session behavior that may indicate session hijacking
• Implement browser-side monitoring for JavaScript execution anomalies in the WordPress admin area

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27271

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the DB Tables Import/Export plugin (db-tables-importexport) from all WordPress installations until a patched version is available
• Audit WordPress administrator accounts for any unauthorized changes or suspicious activity
• Review server logs for evidence of exploitation attempts targeting this plugin
• Educate administrators about the risks of clicking unknown or suspicious links

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the vulnerability affects DB Tables Import/Export version 1.0.1 and all prior versions. WordPress site administrators should check the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for updates on patch availability. Until a fix is released, removing the plugin is the recommended mitigation.

Workarounds

• Remove or deactivate the DB Tables Import/Export plugin from all WordPress installations
• Implement a Web Application Firewall with XSS filtering rules to block common attack patterns
• Configure Content Security Policy headers to restrict inline script execution
• Restrict access to the WordPress admin panel by IP address where feasible

# Example: Add Content Security Policy header in .htaccess
# This helps mitigate XSS attacks by restricting script sources
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
    Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline';"
</IfModule>