CVE-2025-47525 Overview
CVE-2025-47525 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the boldthemes Bold Page Builder plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of bold-page-builder from an unspecified initial release through and including version 5.3.0. An authenticated attacker with high privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of users who view affected pages. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 for improper neutralization of input during web page generation.
Critical Impact
Persistent JavaScript payloads stored via the plugin execute in visitor and administrator browsers, enabling session theft, forced administrative actions, and defacement across affected WordPress sites.
Affected Products
- boldthemes Bold Page Builder plugin for WordPress
- Bold Page Builder versions up to and including 5.3.0
- WordPress sites using the bold-page-builder plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-07 - CVE-2025-47525 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-47525
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Bold Page Builder plugin's handling of user-supplied input within page-builder components. The plugin fails to properly neutralize input before rendering it in generated web pages. An attacker with elevated privileges submits crafted content containing HTML or JavaScript, and the plugin stores that payload without adequate sanitization or output encoding.
When a subsequent visitor or administrator loads the affected page, the browser parses the stored payload as executable script. Because the payload is persisted server-side, every request to the affected page re-triggers the injection. The scope change in the CVSS vector indicates that impact extends beyond the vulnerable component to the browsing user's session context.
Exploitation requires user interaction and privileged access, which limits mass exploitation but does not eliminate risk in multi-author WordPress environments.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient input neutralization in the plugin's page-builder input handlers. Content submitted through builder fields is stored and later echoed into rendered HTML without contextual output encoding, satisfying the CWE-79 definition of stored XSS.
Attack Vector
An authenticated user with high privileges submits page-builder content containing a JavaScript payload. The plugin stores the payload in the WordPress database. When any user renders the page in a browser, the script executes in that user's session context. The attack is network-reachable and requires interaction from the victim who views the poisoned page. See the Patchstack advisory for additional technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-47525
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, onload, or javascript: strings stored in WordPress post content or postmeta rows associated with Bold Page Builder
- Outbound browser requests from administrator sessions to unfamiliar domains after visiting builder-generated pages
- New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after a privileged user viewed an affected page
Detection Strategies
- Audit wp_posts and wp_postmeta tables for HTML event handlers or script tags within Bold Page Builder shortcodes and metadata
- Review WordPress access logs for POST requests to plugin endpoints followed by GET requests loading pages containing suspicious markup
- Compare installed plugin version against the fixed release and flag any instance at or below 5.3.0
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that inspects stored content for XSS signatures
- Log and alert on privileged WordPress user activity, including page creation and edits within Bold Page Builder
- Monitor Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for unexpected inline script executions on public pages
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-47525
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all WordPress instances running the bold-page-builder plugin and inventory the installed version
- Update Bold Page Builder to a version released after 5.3.0 that addresses this vulnerability
- Review privileged user accounts and rotate credentials for any account suspected of being used to inject payloads
- Scan existing page content for injected scripts and remove any unauthorized markup
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Plugin Vulnerability advisory for vendor patch availability and upgrade guidance. Apply the fixed version through the WordPress plugin manager or by replacing plugin files directly.
Workarounds
- Restrict high-privilege WordPress roles to trusted users only until the plugin is updated
- Deploy a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on pages generated by the plugin
- Disable or remove the Bold Page Builder plugin on sites where upgrading is not immediately feasible
# Configuration example: enforce a restrictive CSP header via .htaccess
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'self'; frame-ancestors 'self'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
