CVE-2025-31443 Overview
CVE-2025-31443 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability [CWE-352] in the Krzysztof Furtak KK I Like It WordPress plugin (kk-i-like-it). The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.7.5.3. Successful exploitation chains CSRF with Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), allowing attackers to persist malicious JavaScript in the WordPress site.
An attacker can craft a malicious page that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, submits forged requests to the vulnerable plugin. The injected payload executes whenever users render the affected content, enabling session theft, administrative account takeover, and arbitrary actions in the WordPress dashboard.
Critical Impact
A single visit by an authenticated administrator to an attacker-controlled page can result in persistent JavaScript execution across the WordPress site, leading to admin account compromise.
Affected Products
- KK I Like It WordPress plugin versions up to and including 1.7.5.3
- WordPress installations with the kk-i-like-it plugin activated
- Sites where administrators or privileged users interact with untrusted links while authenticated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-28 - CVE-2025-31443 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31443
Vulnerability Analysis
The KK I Like It plugin fails to validate request authenticity for state-changing operations. WordPress provides nonce tokens through the wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() APIs, but the affected plugin endpoints do not enforce these checks. As a result, any HTTP request bearing a valid administrator session cookie is treated as legitimate.
When combined with insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input, the CSRF flaw escalates into Stored XSS. The forged request writes attacker-controlled HTML or JavaScript into plugin-managed data. The payload is later rendered in pages or admin views without proper output escaping, executing in the victim's browser context.
The vulnerability requires user interaction, as the attack depends on luring an authenticated user to visit a malicious URL. However, no privileges are needed by the attacker, and the attack scope changes because injected scripts execute in the trusted origin of the WordPress site.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of CSRF protection on plugin actions that accept and store user input. Standard WordPress mitigations such as nonces and capability checks are not applied. Stored input is also rendered without contextual output encoding, enabling the secondary XSS condition.
Attack Vector
The attack is delivered over the network. An attacker hosts a webpage containing a hidden form or JavaScript that auto-submits a request to the target WordPress site. When an authenticated administrator visits the page, the browser sends the forged request with valid session cookies. The plugin processes the request and stores the malicious payload, which executes for any subsequent viewer.
See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for additional technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31443
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, onerror handlers, or obfuscated JavaScript stored in kk-i-like-it plugin database records
- WordPress administrator accounts created or modified without authorized activity
- Outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains following dashboard visits
- HTTP referer headers from external domains preceding POST requests to plugin endpoints
Detection Strategies
- Review the wp_options and plugin-specific database tables for unexpected HTML or JavaScript content
- Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to kk-i-like-it endpoints with external referers
- Monitor for new or modified WordPress administrator accounts and unauthorized role changes
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule to flag requests to the plugin lacking valid nonce parameters
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to track plugin configuration changes and user role modifications
- Forward web server and WordPress logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and alerting
- Alert on JavaScript execution patterns originating from the WordPress admin interface
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31443
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the KK I Like It plugin until a patched version is verified as available
- Audit all WordPress administrator accounts and rotate credentials for privileged users
- Review plugin-stored content and database entries for injected scripts and remove malicious payloads
- Require administrators to log out of WordPress before browsing untrusted sites to limit CSRF exposure
Patch Information
As of the latest NVD update, the advisory indicates the vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.7.5.3. Consult the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for the latest patch status and vendor remediation guidance.
Workarounds
- Remove or disable the kk-i-like-it plugin if a patched release is not available
- Deploy a WAF rule that blocks requests to plugin endpoints lacking a valid WordPress nonce
- Enforce strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit inline JavaScript execution in the admin interface
- Restrict administrator browsing sessions by isolating WordPress administration to dedicated browser profiles
# Example: Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate kk-i-like-it
wp plugin uninstall kk-i-like-it
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
