CVE-2025-30938 Overview
CVE-2025-30938 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Broadly for WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 3.0.2. It arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, tracked under [CWE-79]. An authenticated attacker with high privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability requires user interaction and can cross security boundaries because injected script runs in the context of the WordPress site.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can store malicious scripts that execute against site visitors and administrators, enabling session theft, defacement, or delivery of secondary payloads.
Affected Products
- Broadly for WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 3.0.2
- WordPress installations with the vulnerable plugin activated
- Any site permitting privileged users to submit content processed by the plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-30938 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-30938
Vulnerability Analysis
The Broadly for WordPress plugin fails to properly sanitize and encode user-supplied input before rendering it within generated web pages. Input submitted through the plugin's administrative interfaces is stored in the WordPress database and later reflected into HTML output without sufficient escaping. When another user loads the affected page, the browser parses the injected markup and executes the attacker's JavaScript.
Because the payload persists in the database, exploitation does not require the attacker to lure victims to a crafted link. The scope change indicates that injected script executes in a security context different from the vulnerable component, meaning the payload can act on the broader WordPress site including administrator sessions.
Root Cause
The root cause is a failure to apply output encoding or input sanitization to fields handled by the plugin before version 3.0.3. WordPress provides helper functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses() for context-aware escaping. The vulnerable code paths in Broadly did not consistently invoke these functions when storing or rendering user-controlled strings.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated user with elevated privileges to submit crafted input containing HTML or JavaScript. The payload is stored server-side and triggers when a victim, typically an administrator or content reviewer, loads a page that renders the tainted data. See the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Advisory for technical details on the affected endpoints.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30938
Indicators of Compromise
- WordPress database entries in plugin-managed tables containing <script> tags, javascript: URIs, or event handlers such as onerror and onload
- Unexpected outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsers to attacker-controlled domains after loading plugin-rendered pages
- New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after a privileged user viewed plugin content
Detection Strategies
- Audit stored plugin data for HTML markup or script content that should not appear in normal user submissions
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to Broadly plugin endpoints from unexpected user accounts
- Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect submissions to plugin routes for XSS payload signatures
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to record content changes made by privileged users
- Monitor browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script execution on wp-admin pages
- Alert on modifications to plugin database tables outside of expected administrative workflows
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30938
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Broadly for WordPress plugin to a version later than 3.0.2 once a patched release is available
- Restrict plugin administrative access to trusted accounts and enforce multi-factor authentication for those roles
- Review stored plugin content for existing malicious payloads and remove them before further use
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Advisory for patch availability and vendor guidance. If no fixed version is published, deactivate and remove the plugin until a remediated release is available.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the Broadly for WordPress plugin until a patched version is installed
- Implement a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on WordPress administrative pages
- Deploy a web application firewall with rules targeting stored XSS payloads directed at WordPress plugin endpoints
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
