CVE-2025-30558: ANAC XML Render CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30558 Overview

CVE-2025-30558 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the ANAC XML Render WordPress plugin (anac-xml-render) developed by EnzoCostantini55. This vulnerability allows attackers to chain CSRF with Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), enabling malicious actors to inject persistent scripts into the application by tricking authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this CSRF vulnerability to inject stored XSS payloads that execute in the browsers of all users visiting affected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized administrative actions.

Affected Products

• ANAC XML Render WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 1.5.7
• WordPress installations with the vulnerable anac-xml-render plugin active

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-24 - CVE-2025-30558 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30558

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability combines two attack vectors: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) and Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The ANAC XML Render plugin fails to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms on sensitive forms or AJAX endpoints that accept user input. When combined with insufficient input sanitization, attackers can leverage the CSRF weakness to inject malicious JavaScript payloads that are stored persistently in the database.

The attack requires user interaction—specifically, an authenticated administrator must be tricked into visiting a malicious page or clicking a crafted link while logged into WordPress. Once the CSRF attack succeeds, the stored XSS payload persists in the application and executes whenever any user views the affected content.

The vulnerability is accessible over the network and requires no authentication from the attacker's perspective, though it does require user interaction from the victim. The scope of impact extends beyond the vulnerable component, as stored XSS payloads can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the broader WordPress installation.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-30558 lies in the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF token validation on state-changing operations. WordPress provides built-in nonce functionality through wp_nonce_field() and wp_verify_nonce() functions, but the vulnerable versions of ANAC XML Render do not properly utilize these security controls. Additionally, the plugin does not adequately sanitize and escape user-supplied input before storing it in the database or rendering it back to users, enabling the Stored XSS component of the attack chain.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and follows a multi-stage exploitation process. An attacker first crafts a malicious HTML page containing a hidden form or JavaScript that automatically submits a request to the vulnerable WordPress endpoint. This request contains an XSS payload designed to be stored in the plugin's data. The attacker then distributes the malicious page to potential victims, typically WordPress administrators with active sessions.

When an authenticated administrator visits the attacker's page, the forged request is submitted with the administrator's cookies, bypassing normal authentication checks. The malicious XSS payload is stored in the database. Subsequently, when any user—including administrators—views the affected page or content rendered by the plugin, the stored XSS payload executes in their browser context.

This attack chain can result in session cookie theft, administrative account takeover, defacement of the WordPress site, distribution of malware to site visitors, or pivoting to attack other systems accessible from the victim's network.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30558

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected JavaScript code or HTML tags stored in ANAC XML Render plugin settings or rendered content
• Access logs showing POST requests to plugin endpoints from external referrers
• Unusual administrative actions performed without corresponding admin login activity
• Browser-based alerts or unexpected redirects when viewing plugin-rendered content

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress access logs for POST requests to anac-xml-render plugin endpoints with missing or invalid referrer headers
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block unauthorized inline script execution
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect common XSS payload patterns in request bodies
• Review stored plugin data for suspicious JavaScript, iframe tags, or encoded script content

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress security plugins that log and alert on configuration changes
• Configure browser-side XSS auditors and CSP violation reporting
• Implement database monitoring for unexpected changes to plugin-related tables
• Review authentication logs for session anomalies following suspected CSRF exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30558

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the ANAC XML Render plugin to a patched version if available from the developer
• Temporarily deactivate the anac-xml-render plugin until a security update is released
• Review and remove any suspicious content stored by the plugin
• Invalidate all active WordPress administrator sessions and require password resets

Patch Information

No vendor patch information was available at the time of publication. Users should monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for updates on remediation status and check the WordPress plugin repository for updated versions of ANAC XML Render.

Workarounds

• Deactivate and delete the ANAC XML Render plugin if its functionality is not critical
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to block CSRF attempts and XSS payloads
• Restrict administrative access to the WordPress dashboard from trusted IP addresses only
• Train administrators to avoid clicking untrusted links while logged into WordPress

Administrators should exercise caution when browsing external websites while authenticated to WordPress. Using separate browser profiles or private browsing windows for WordPress administration can reduce CSRF exposure.