CVE-2025-30610: WP Social Widget Stored XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-30610 Overview

CVE-2025-30610 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the catchsquare WP Social Widget plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 2.2.7. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject malicious JavaScript that persists in the plugin's stored data and executes in the browsers of other users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 for improper neutralization of input during web page generation.

Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can store malicious scripts that execute in site visitors' and administrators' browsers, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and privileged action abuse.

Affected Products

catchsquare WP Social Widget plugin for WordPress
All versions from n/a through 2.2.7
WordPress sites with the plugin installed and activated

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-24 - CVE-2025-30610 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30610

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input before it is rendered in WordPress pages generated by the WP Social Widget plugin. Input provided through the plugin's widget configuration fields is stored in the WordPress database and later echoed into HTML output without adequate sanitization or output encoding.

Because the payload persists in the database, every subsequent page view that renders the affected widget triggers the injected script. This elevates the issue above reflected XSS by removing the need for per-victim social engineering.

Exploitation requires an authenticated session with privileges to modify widget settings. User interaction is required for the payload to execute in a victim's browser session. The scope-changed nature of the issue means the injected script can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, including administrator sessions.

Root Cause

The plugin fails to apply WordPress sanitization helpers such as sanitize_text_field() on input, or escaping helpers such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or esc_url() on output. User-controlled values flow directly from stored options into the rendered widget markup, allowing arbitrary HTML and JavaScript to be interpreted by the browser.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker with widget management rights submits a payload containing JavaScript into one of the WP Social Widget configuration fields. The payload is written to the wp_options table. When any visitor loads a page containing the widget, the browser parses and executes the attacker-controlled script in the site's origin context.

For technical details, see the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30610

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or event handlers (onerror, onload) stored in wp_options entries related to WP Social Widget
Outbound HTTP requests from visitor browsers to unfamiliar domains when loading pages hosting the widget
Administrator account anomalies such as new users, modified roles, or plugin changes shortly after visiting widget-bearing pages

Detection Strategies

Review the WordPress database for stored widget values containing HTML tags or script fragments
Inspect rendered page source on URLs that embed the WP Social Widget for unexpected scripts
Correlate web server access logs with administrative actions to identify session hijacking patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging to capture widget configuration changes and the authenticated user responsible
Deploy a web application firewall rule set that flags HTML or JavaScript payloads submitted to widget administration endpoints
Monitor browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script execution on pages serving the widget

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30610

Immediate Actions Required

Deactivate the WP Social Widget plugin on all WordPress instances running version 2.2.7 or earlier until a fixed release is confirmed
Audit widget configuration data in the database and remove any entries containing script content or suspicious HTML
Rotate credentials and invalidate sessions for administrators who accessed pages containing the widget during the exposure window

Patch Information

At the time of the NVD entry, the advisory lists affected versions through 2.2.7 with no fixed version noted. Monitor the Patchstack advisory and the plugin's WordPress.org page for an official patched release and apply it as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Remove the WP Social Widget from active sidebars and widget areas while keeping the plugin disabled
Restrict widget management capabilities to trusted administrators only and remove the edit_theme_options capability from lower-privileged roles
Deploy a Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts to limit the impact of stored XSS payloads

bash

# Configuration example: disable the plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate wp-social-widget
wp plugin delete wp-social-widget

# Audit stored widget options for suspicious content
wp option list --search='widget_wp_social*' --format=table