CVE-2025-31759 Overview
CVE-2025-31759 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the BooSpot Boo Recipes WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 2.4.1. The issue stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation [CWE-79].
An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject malicious JavaScript that persists in the plugin's stored content. When a victim loads the affected page, the payload executes in the browser context of the site. The vulnerability requires user interaction and can impact resources beyond the vulnerable component due to a scope change.
Critical Impact
Attackers can persistently inject client-side scripts that execute in the context of site visitors and administrators, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and administrative account takeover.
Affected Products
- BooSpot Boo Recipes WordPress plugin (boo-recipes)
- Boo Recipes versions from n/a through 2.4.1
- WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-01 - CVE-2025-31759 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31759
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Boo Recipes plugin's handling of user-controlled input rendered into WordPress pages. The plugin fails to sanitize or escape input before it is stored and later reflected in HTML output. This gap allows attackers to persist arbitrary JavaScript within recipe data fields.
Because the injected script executes whenever a user loads the affected page, the vulnerability enables classic stored XSS attack chains. Attackers can steal authentication cookies, perform actions on behalf of administrators, or redirect users to attacker-controlled pages. The scope change indicates the injected payload can affect security-relevant resources beyond the plugin itself, including the broader WordPress admin session.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output encoding and input sanitization in plugin functions that render user-provided content. WordPress provides helper functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses() to neutralize dangerous characters. The Boo Recipes plugin does not consistently apply these controls when writing user data into the DOM.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and an authenticated account with contributor-level privileges or similar. The attacker submits a crafted payload containing HTML or JavaScript into a recipe field processed by the plugin. Once stored, the payload is served to any user viewing the affected recipe or admin listing.
The attack requires user interaction, meaning a victim must load the affected page for the payload to fire. See the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31759
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, onerror handlers, or javascript: URIs stored in recipe post metadata or plugin database tables
- Outbound HTTP requests from browser sessions to unknown domains after loading recipe pages
- New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after authenticated user activity on recipe endpoints
- WordPress audit log entries showing contributor-level accounts editing recipe content followed by admin session anomalies
Detection Strategies
- Review the wp_posts and plugin-specific tables for stored HTML containing script tags or event handler attributes
- Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reporting to surface unexpected inline script execution on recipe pages
- Correlate authenticated POST requests to Boo Recipes endpoints with subsequent suspicious session activity
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress logging for all content creation and modification events on recipe post types
- Monitor web server access logs for repeated submissions to plugin endpoints from single low-privileged accounts
- Alert on newly created administrator accounts or role escalations following contributor activity
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31759
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the Boo Recipes plugin until a patched version above 2.4.1 is available and installed
- Audit all existing recipe content and plugin database entries for previously injected payloads and remove them
- Rotate WordPress administrator credentials and invalidate active sessions if exploitation is suspected
- Restrict contributor and author account creation and review recent privilege assignments
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vulnerability affects Boo Recipes versions through 2.4.1. Site administrators should monitor the vendor's plugin page and the Patchstack advisory for release of a fixed version and apply the update immediately.
Workarounds
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block payloads containing script tags or event handlers submitted to plugin endpoints
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on pages rendered by the plugin
- Limit contributor and author roles to trusted users only, reducing the pool of accounts that can trigger the vulnerability
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
