CVE-2025-2802: LayoutBoxx WordPress Plugin RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-2802 Overview

The LayoutBoxx plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 0.3.1. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation when processing user-supplied data before passing it to the do_shortcode function. Due to this security flaw, unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary WordPress shortcodes, potentially leading to unauthorized actions on the affected website.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary shortcodes on vulnerable WordPress installations, potentially enabling further exploitation depending on other installed plugins and their registered shortcodes.

Affected Products

• LayoutBoxx WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 0.3.1
• WordPress installations with LayoutBoxx plugin active

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-06 - CVE-2025-2802 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2802

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as Code Injection (CWE-94), specifically affecting the shortcode execution mechanism within the LayoutBoxx WordPress plugin. The core issue lies in the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-controlled input before passing it to WordPress's do_shortcode() function.

WordPress shortcodes are a powerful feature that allows plugins and themes to register callable functions. When the LayoutBoxx plugin accepts user input without proper validation and feeds it directly to do_shortcode(), it creates an avenue for attackers to invoke any registered shortcode on the system. This is particularly dangerous because many WordPress plugins register shortcodes that perform sensitive operations, such as form submissions, database queries, or content manipulation.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any unauthenticated remote attacker can potentially exploit it without requiring valid credentials or prior authentication to the WordPress site.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-2802 is improper input validation within the LayoutBoxx plugin. The vulnerable code path allows user-supplied data to be processed by the do_shortcode() function without adequate sanitization or allowlist validation. This violates the security principle of never trusting user input, especially when that input can influence code execution paths.

The plugin fails to implement proper controls such as:

• Allowlisting permitted shortcode names
• Validating the structure and content of shortcode parameters
• Restricting which users can trigger shortcode execution

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious requests to the vulnerable WordPress endpoint, injecting arbitrary shortcode syntax that the plugin will execute. The exploitation flow typically involves:

1. Identifying a WordPress site running a vulnerable version of LayoutBoxx
2. Crafting a request containing malicious shortcode syntax
3. The plugin processes the request and passes the malicious input to do_shortcode()
4. WordPress executes the attacker-specified shortcode with its associated functionality

The impact depends on what shortcodes are registered by other plugins on the target system. Some shortcodes may expose sensitive information, while others could enable further attacks such as stored XSS or privilege escalation.

For technical implementation details, refer to the WordPress Plugin Source Code and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2802

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests to WordPress endpoints containing shortcode bracket syntax [ and ]
• Access logs showing requests with encoded shortcode patterns to LayoutBoxx-related endpoints
• Unexpected shortcode execution reflected in WordPress debug logs
• Anomalous behavior from plugins that register sensitive shortcodes

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application firewall (WAF) logs for requests containing shortcode patterns targeting LayoutBoxx functionality
• Implement server-side logging to track calls to do_shortcode() with unexpected or suspicious parameters
• Deploy intrusion detection rules to flag requests with shortcode injection patterns
• Review WordPress error logs for failed or successful shortcode execution attempts from unauthenticated sources

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on WordPress installations to capture shortcode execution events
• Configure alerting for high volumes of requests containing bracket notation to WordPress endpoints
• Implement real-time monitoring for plugin-related endpoints that process user input
• Regularly audit installed plugins and their registered shortcodes to understand potential attack surface

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2802

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the LayoutBoxx plugin if it is not essential to site functionality
• Update to a patched version of LayoutBoxx if one becomes available (check the WordPress Plugin Developer Info page)
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block requests containing shortcode injection patterns
• Review WordPress access logs for signs of exploitation attempts

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update, users should monitor the official WordPress Plugin Directory for security updates from the plugin developer. Until a patch is available, consider removing the plugin or implementing compensating controls such as WAF rules to filter malicious requests.

Organizations using SentinelOne can leverage Singularity XDR to detect post-exploitation activity that may result from successful shortcode injection attacks, including suspicious process spawning, file system modifications, or network connections initiated by the web server process.

Workarounds

• Disable the LayoutBoxx plugin until a security patch is released
• Implement WAF rules to block requests containing shortcode syntax patterns (e.g., [shortcode] format) to LayoutBoxx endpoints
• Restrict access to WordPress admin and plugin endpoints using IP allowlisting where feasible
• Consider using WordPress security plugins that provide virtual patching capabilities for known vulnerabilities

# Example .htaccess rule to block suspicious shortcode patterns
# Add to WordPress root .htaccess file
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} \[.*\] [NC]
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} layoutboxx [NC]
    RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>