CVE-2025-31470 Overview
CVE-2025-31470 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the FancyThemes Page Takeover WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.1.6. It stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified as [CWE-79].
An authenticated attacker with high privileges can inject malicious JavaScript that persists within stored plugin content. When rendered in a victim's browser, the payload executes in the site context, enabling session theft, redirection, and account compromise. The scope-changed impact means injected scripts can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component.
Critical Impact
Stored XSS payloads persist across sessions and execute automatically when administrators or visitors load affected pages, enabling site takeover through chained attacks.
Affected Products
- FancyThemes Page Takeover WordPress plugin
- All versions from initial release through 1.1.6
- WordPress sites where the plugin is installed and active
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-28 - CVE-2025-31470 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31470
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a stored cross-site scripting flaw in the Page Takeover plugin developed by FancyThemes. Stored XSS occurs when user input is saved server-side without proper sanitization and later reflected into HTML output without contextual encoding.
An attacker with elevated WordPress privileges can submit JavaScript payloads through plugin fields. The plugin persists these payloads in the WordPress database. When an authenticated user or site visitor loads a page containing the stored payload, the browser executes the attacker's script.
User interaction is required for successful exploitation. The scope change indicates that injected scripts can access resources or perform actions outside the initially vulnerable component, expanding blast radius across the WordPress installation.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output encoding and input sanitization in the plugin's page-takeover rendering logic. WordPress provides sanitization primitives such as wp_kses(), esc_html(), and esc_attr() that neutralize dangerous HTML. The plugin fails to apply these functions to attacker-controlled fields before persisting or rendering them.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress admin interface and an authenticated account with sufficient privileges to modify plugin content. The attacker submits a crafted payload containing JavaScript, which the plugin stores. Subsequent page loads by administrators, editors, or visitors trigger execution.
The vulnerability manifests through unescaped rendering of stored plugin input. See the Patchstack advisory for technical details on the affected code paths.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31470
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, event handlers (onerror, onload), or javascript: URIs in WordPress wp_posts or plugin-specific database tables
- Outbound HTTP requests from browsers loading admin pages to attacker-controlled domains
- New administrator accounts or modified user roles created shortly after authenticated sessions on affected pages
- Anomalous cookie exfiltration patterns in web server access logs
Detection Strategies
- Audit the WordPress database for stored HTML or JavaScript content in Page Takeover plugin tables and post metadata
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect POST requests to plugin endpoints for XSS payload signatures
- Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) reporting to identify unauthorized script execution attempts in the admin panel
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor authenticated administrator sessions for unusual JavaScript execution and DOM modifications
- Log and review all plugin configuration changes with attribution to specific user accounts
- Correlate WordPress audit logs with endpoint telemetry to detect post-exploitation activity such as credential theft or lateral movement
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31470
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress installations running FancyThemes Page Takeover version 1.1.6 or earlier
- Deactivate the plugin until a patched version is applied if the plugin is not business-critical
- Restrict administrative access to trusted IP addresses and enforce multi-factor authentication for all privileged WordPress accounts
- Review recent plugin content changes and audit logs for signs of malicious injection
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vendor advisory tracked through Patchstack lists versions through 1.1.6 as affected. Administrators should consult the plugin's official repository page for the latest release and upgrade to any version newer than 1.1.6 when available.
Workarounds
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that blocks inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins
- Deploy a WAF with WordPress-specific rulesets to filter XSS payloads targeting the plugin
- Reduce the number of accounts with administrator or editor privileges to minimize the attack surface
- Regularly export and inspect plugin-stored content for unauthorized HTML or JavaScript
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.