CVE-2025-27303 Overview
CVE-2025-27303 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the themelogger Contact Form 7 Star Rating WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.10. It stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, classified under [CWE-79]. Attackers with high privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability requires user interaction and produces a scope change, extending impact beyond the vulnerable component.
Critical Impact
Stored XSS allows authenticated attackers to inject persistent malicious scripts into the WordPress site, enabling session theft, credential harvesting, and site defacement targeting visitors and administrators.
Affected Products
- themelogger Contact Form 7 Star Rating plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 1.10
- WordPress sites with the contact-form-7-star-rating plugin installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-24 - CVE-2025-27303 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-27303
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Contact Form 7 Star Rating plugin, an extension that adds star rating functionality to Contact Form 7 forms in WordPress. The plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before rendering it in web page output. Attackers exploit this by submitting crafted input containing JavaScript payloads that the plugin stores and later serves back to browsers without neutralization.
Because the XSS is stored rather than reflected, the injected payload persists in the site database. Every subsequent visitor rendering the affected page executes the attacker's script within the site's origin. The scope change reflected in the CVSS vector indicates the payload can affect resources beyond the vulnerable plugin, including the WordPress administrative interface and authenticated sessions.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or inadequate output encoding when the plugin renders user-controlled data into HTML contexts. WordPress plugins must apply context-aware escaping functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() before echoing dynamic content. The Contact Form 7 Star Rating plugin omits these controls on at least one input-handling path, allowing raw HTML and script tags to reach the DOM.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated user with high privileges and depends on user interaction to trigger the payload. An attacker with access to the plugin's configuration or content fields submits a payload containing HTML script constructs. Once stored, any user visiting the rendered page executes the injected code in their browser session. Details are available in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27303
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, or onload attributes stored in WordPress post metadata or plugin option tables
- Outbound requests from site visitors to unfamiliar third-party domains originating from pages that render star ratings
- Administrator sessions exhibiting unauthorized actions such as new user creation or plugin installation shortly after viewing rating content
Detection Strategies
- Query the WordPress database for suspicious HTML characters in fields managed by the contact-form-7-star-rating plugin
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to plugin endpoints containing encoded script payloads or unusual character sequences
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule set that inspects form submissions for common XSS patterns targeting Contact Form 7 extensions
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable file integrity monitoring on the wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7-star-rating/ directory
- Log and alert on privileged user activity that modifies plugin settings or form configurations
- Correlate anomalous JavaScript execution reports from browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation endpoints with WordPress activity logs
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27303
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the Contact Form 7 Star Rating plugin until an updated version addressing this issue is confirmed installed
- Audit all high-privilege WordPress accounts and rotate credentials for any that may have been compromised
- Review stored form and rating content for injected HTML or JavaScript and purge malicious entries
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vendor advisory references versions through 1.10 as vulnerable. Site operators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest fixed version guidance and apply the update once available.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to plugin configuration by limiting the number of administrator and editor accounts
- Deploy a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and untrusted external sources
- Place a WAF in front of the WordPress site with XSS filtering rules enabled for plugin submission endpoints
- Remove the plugin entirely if star rating functionality is not essential to site operations
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.