CVE-2025-32617: Google Map Plugin CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-32617 Overview

CVE-2025-32617 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Multiple Location Google Map WordPress plugin developed by Ydesignservices. This vulnerability allows attackers to chain CSRF with Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), enabling malicious actors to inject persistent scripts into affected WordPress sites by tricking authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions.

Critical Impact

Attackers can leverage this CSRF vulnerability to inject malicious JavaScript that persists in the WordPress database, potentially compromising all site visitors and enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or further site compromise.

Affected Products

• Multiple Location Google Map WordPress Plugin version 1.1 and earlier
• WordPress installations using the multiple-location-google-map plugin

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-04-09 - CVE-2025-32617 published to NVD
• 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-32617

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a dangerous combination of two web application security flaws: Cross-Site Request Forgery and Stored Cross-Site Scripting. The Multiple Location Google Map plugin fails to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that modify plugin settings or content when an authenticated administrator visits a malicious page.

The lack of nonce verification in the plugin's administrative functions means that state-changing operations can be triggered without validating that the request originated from a legitimate WordPress admin session. Combined with insufficient input sanitization, this allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript payloads that are stored in the database and executed whenever the affected content is rendered.

The vulnerability requires user interaction—specifically, an authenticated administrator must be tricked into clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised webpage. Once triggered, the injected XSS payload persists and affects all subsequent visitors to pages containing the vulnerable plugin's output.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from the absence of CSRF token validation (WordPress nonces) in the plugin's form handling and administrative functions, combined with inadequate output encoding when rendering user-controlled data. The plugin does not properly sanitize input before storing it in the database, nor does it escape output when displaying map location data.

Attack Vector

The attack leverages a network-based vector where an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page or link containing a hidden form that submits data to the vulnerable plugin endpoints. When an authenticated WordPress administrator with plugin management privileges visits the attacker's page, their browser automatically includes session cookies with the malicious request, causing the forged request to execute with the administrator's privileges.

The attacker's payload typically contains JavaScript code that gets stored in the plugin's configuration or location data. This stored XSS then executes in the browsers of anyone viewing pages that include the plugin's output, potentially including site visitors, editors, and other administrators.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-32617

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected JavaScript code appearing in plugin settings or map location data
• Unusual administrative changes to Multiple Location Google Map plugin configuration without authorized access
• Browser console errors or unexpected script execution on pages containing Google Maps
• User reports of suspicious redirects or popups on WordPress pages with maps

Detection Strategies

• Review WordPress database tables associated with the Multiple Location Google Map plugin for suspicious content containing <script> tags or JavaScript event handlers
• Monitor WordPress admin activity logs for unauthorized changes to plugin settings
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to detect and block unauthorized script execution
• Use web application firewalls (WAF) to identify and log suspicious POST requests targeting plugin endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for WordPress administrative actions using security plugins
• Configure real-time alerting for changes to plugin configurations
• Perform periodic scans of stored content for XSS indicators using automated security tools
• Monitor server access logs for unusual patterns of requests to plugin-related endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-32617

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable or remove the Multiple Location Google Map plugin (multiple-location-google-map) until a patched version is available
• Audit all stored content associated with the plugin for malicious JavaScript injection
• Review WordPress user accounts for any unauthorized privilege escalations
• Implement additional CSRF protection at the web server or WAF level

Patch Information

As of the latest information available, this vulnerability affects Multiple Location Google Map plugin version 1.1 and earlier. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for updates on patches or security fixes from the plugin developer. Consider using alternative mapping plugins that have undergone security audits until a fix is released.

Workarounds

• Restrict administrative access to the WordPress dashboard by IP address or VPN
• Use browser extensions that block automatic form submissions from external sites
• Implement additional security headers including X-Frame-Options and Content-Security-Policy
• Consider using a WordPress security plugin that adds nonce verification to plugin forms

# Add protective headers to WordPress .htaccess
# Place in WordPress root directory

# Prevent clickjacking
Header always set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"

# Enable XSS filtering in browsers
Header always set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"

# Restrict content types
Header always set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"

# Basic Content Security Policy
Header always set Content-Security-Policy "script-src 'self' maps.googleapis.com; frame-ancestors 'self';"