CVE-2025-31742 Overview
CVE-2025-31742 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the PixelDima Dima Take Action WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.0.5. The plugin fails to properly neutralize user-supplied input during web page generation, allowing an authenticated attacker with high privileges to inject persistent JavaScript payloads. When other users load an affected page, the browser executes the stored script in their session context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79.
Critical Impact
An attacker with elevated privileges can persist malicious JavaScript that executes in the browsers of site visitors and administrators, enabling session theft, redirection, or WordPress administrative actions.
Affected Products
- PixelDima Dima Take Action plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.0.5
- WordPress installations running the vulnerable plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-31742 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31742
Vulnerability Analysis
The Dima Take Action plugin accepts input that is later rendered into HTML output without sufficient encoding or sanitization. Because the payload is stored server-side, it persists across sessions and executes each time a user loads the affected view. The scope is marked as changed, meaning the injected script executes in a security context different from the vulnerable component itself. Exploitation requires high privileges and user interaction, which limits opportunistic mass exploitation but does not prevent targeted attacks against WordPress administrators or editors.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation [CWE-79]. Data supplied through plugin interfaces is written into rendered pages without output encoding suitable for the HTML context. Standard defenses such as wp_kses, esc_html, or esc_attr are either missing or applied to the wrong context.
Attack Vector
An authenticated attacker submits crafted input containing HTML or JavaScript through a plugin feature that stores content in the WordPress database. When another user, typically an administrator, visits a page that renders the stored value, the script executes with the victim's privileges. Consequences include session hijacking through cookie theft, forced administrative actions via WordPress REST API calls, and pivoting to install malicious plugins or create backdoor accounts.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Patchstack advisory for additional technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31742
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, on* event handlers, or javascript: URIs stored in WordPress wp_posts, wp_postmeta, or plugin-specific tables.
- Outbound requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains immediately after loading plugin pages.
- Unauthorized WordPress administrator accounts or plugin installations following administrator sessions.
Detection Strategies
- Query the WordPress database for content stored by the Dima Take Action plugin and grep for HTML tags, event handlers, and encoded script payloads.
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to plugin endpoints containing HTML entities or script fragments in parameter values.
- Enable a Content Security Policy (CSP) in report-only mode to surface unexpected inline script execution on WordPress admin pages.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on creation of new administrator accounts, changes to user roles, and installation of new plugins outside of scheduled change windows.
- Monitor authenticated sessions for anomalous REST API calls originating from admin browsers.
- Track plugin version inventory and flag installations of Dima Take Action at version 1.0.5 or earlier.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31742
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress sites running the Dima Take Action plugin and confirm installed version.
- Deactivate and remove the plugin on any site running version 1.0.5 or earlier until a patched release is verified.
- Audit WordPress user accounts with edit_posts or higher capabilities and rotate credentials for privileged users.
Patch Information
No fixed version is documented in the available advisory data. Consult the Patchstack advisory for vendor patch status. If no patched release is published, remove the plugin.
Workarounds
- Restrict plugin access to a minimal set of trusted, high-privilege users and enforce multi-factor authentication on those accounts.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule to block requests containing script tags or event-handler attributes targeting plugin endpoints.
- Apply a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on WordPress administrative pages.
# Identify vulnerable plugin installations via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=dima-take-action --fields=name,status,version
# Deactivate and remove the plugin if version is <= 1.0.5
wp plugin deactivate dima-take-action
wp plugin uninstall dima-take-action
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
