CVE-2025-30551 Overview
CVE-2025-30551 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the smartredfox Pretty File Links plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 0.9. Attackers with low-privileged authenticated access can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the context of any user who views the affected page. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 for improper neutralization of input during web page generation.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can inject persistent JavaScript that executes in visiting users' browsers, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and administrative account takeover through scope-changing scripted actions.
Affected Products
- smartredfox Pretty File Links plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 0.9
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-24 - CVE-2025-30551 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-30551
Vulnerability Analysis
The Pretty File Links plugin fails to sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in generated web pages. This behavior matches the pattern described in CWE-79, where untrusted input reaches HTML output without adequate encoding. Because the payload is persisted server-side, every subsequent page load that references the stored value delivers the malicious script to victims.
The scope-changing nature of the flaw means injected script can affect components beyond the vulnerable plugin. An attacker who compromises an administrator session can install plugins, create accounts, or exfiltrate site data. User interaction is required, but the target action is as routine as visiting a page containing a pretty file link.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output encoding and input sanitization on fields that accept file link metadata. The plugin stores attacker-controlled data and later echoes it into HTML contexts without applying WordPress escaping functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses(). Refer to the Patchstack advisory for the technical breakdown.
Attack Vector
An authenticated contributor-level or higher account submits a crafted payload through the plugin's link management interface. The malicious markup persists in the WordPress database. When any user, including administrators, renders a page containing the stored value, the browser parses and executes the injected script. Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and a single user interaction from the victim.
No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly indexed for this CVE. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for further technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30551
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, or onload attributes in WordPress wp_posts or plugin-specific tables tied to Pretty File Links entries.
- Outbound requests from browser sessions to attacker-controlled domains after users view pages containing pretty file links.
- New WordPress administrator accounts or plugin installations that correlate with admin visits to file-link pages.
Detection Strategies
- Audit database records created or modified by Pretty File Links for HTML tags, JavaScript event handlers, or encoded script fragments.
- Deploy a Content Security Policy (CSP) in report-only mode to surface inline script violations originating from plugin-rendered pages.
- Review WordPress access logs for POST requests to plugin endpoints from low-privileged accounts followed by admin page views.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor authenticated WordPress activity for anomalous editor or contributor actions targeting plugin configuration screens.
- Alert on browser telemetry showing script execution from unexpected origins on WordPress admin pages.
- Track plugin version inventory across managed WordPress sites to identify hosts still running Pretty File Links 0.9 or earlier.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30551
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Pretty File Links plugin if a patched version is not yet available.
- Rotate WordPress administrator credentials and invalidate active sessions on affected sites.
- Review recently created accounts, plugins, and posts for unauthorized changes introduced through stored XSS execution.
Patch Information
At the time of the last NVD update on 2026-06-17, the advisory lists all versions through 0.9 as affected and does not identify a fixed release. Site owners should consult the Patchstack advisory for the current patch status and upgrade to any released fix.
Workarounds
- Restrict who can access the plugin's link management functionality by limiting contributor and author role assignments.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks HTML tags and JavaScript event handlers in Pretty File Links form parameters.
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and unknown script sources across the WordPress site.
# Example CSP header enforced at the web server layer
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'self'; frame-ancestors 'self'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
