CVE-2025-2800: WP Event Manager Stored XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-2800 Overview

CVE-2025-2800 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] in the WP Event Manager WordPress plugin. The flaw affects the organizer_name parameter in all versions up to and including 3.1.50. The plugin fails to properly sanitize input and escape output before rendering user-supplied data. Unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary JavaScript that executes in the browser of any visitor who loads the affected page.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can inject persistent JavaScript into WordPress sites running vulnerable versions of WP Event Manager, enabling session theft, credential harvesting, and administrative account compromise when a privileged user views an affected page.

Affected Products

WP Event Manager – Events Calendar, Registrations, Sell Tickets with WooCommerce plugin for WordPress
All versions up to and including 3.1.50
Vendor: wp-eventmanager

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-16 - CVE-2025-2800 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2800

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in how the WP Event Manager plugin processes the organizer_name parameter. User-controlled input is stored in the database and later rendered into pages without adequate sanitization or escaping. An unauthenticated attacker can submit a crafted payload containing HTML or JavaScript in the organizer_name field. When any user, including administrators, visits a page that renders the stored value, the injected script executes in their browser context.

Stored XSS in a WordPress plugin extends the impact beyond a single victim. Every visitor loading a page containing the payload triggers execution. Attackers can pivot from a public event page to hijacking authenticated administrator sessions.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient input sanitization on write and missing output escaping on render for the organizer_name field. The plugin does not apply WordPress functions such as sanitize_text_field() on input or esc_html()/esc_attr() on output. This allows raw HTML and script tags to persist and execute.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to a submission endpoint that accepts the organizer_name parameter and a subsequent page load by a victim (user interaction). No authentication is required. Because the injected payload changes the security scope of the executing page, the vulnerability has a scope-changed impact. The attacker delivers the payload once, and it persists until the record is removed or sanitized.

See the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2800

Indicators of Compromise

Event organizer records containing <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: substrings in the organizer_name field.
Outbound browser requests from authenticated administrators to unfamiliar domains shortly after loading event pages.
New WordPress administrator accounts, modified user roles, or unexpected plugin installations following event page visits.
HTTP POST requests to event submission endpoints containing HTML-encoded or raw script payloads in the organizer_name parameter.

Detection Strategies

Query the WordPress database for organizer entries matching regex patterns targeting HTML tags and JavaScript event handlers.
Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to WP Event Manager submission URLs with suspicious payload signatures in body parameters.
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to flag stored XSS payloads submitted to WordPress plugin endpoints.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor the wp_posts and related plugin tables for HTML tags stored in organizer metadata fields.
Alert on privileged WordPress account creation or role changes originating from unusual IP addresses or user agents.
Track Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports from pages served by the WP Event Manager plugin.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2800

Immediate Actions Required

Update the WP Event Manager plugin to a version newer than 3.1.50 that includes the fix referenced in the WordPress Plugin Changeset.
Audit existing event organizer records and remove any entries containing HTML or JavaScript payloads.
Rotate credentials and session tokens for administrator accounts that may have loaded compromised pages.
Review WordPress user roles for unauthorized additions or privilege changes.

Patch Information

The vendor addressed the vulnerability in the changeset published at plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3318605/. Site administrators should upgrade via the WordPress plugin management interface or by deploying the updated plugin package directly. Confirm the installed version reports higher than 3.1.50 after the update.

Workarounds

Disable the WP Event Manager plugin until the patched release can be deployed if event submission is not business-critical.
Restrict access to event submission endpoints using server-level access controls or authentication requirements.
Deploy a Web Application Firewall rule that blocks requests containing script tags or JavaScript event handlers in the organizer_name parameter.
Implement a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts to reduce the impact of any residual XSS payloads.

bash

# Example WP-CLI commands to update the plugin and audit organizer records
wp plugin update wp-event-manager
wp plugin get wp-event-manager --field=version
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type='event_organizer' AND (post_title LIKE '%<script%' OR post_title LIKE '%onerror=%' OR post_title LIKE '%javascript:%');"