CVE-2025-48144 Overview
CVE-2025-48144 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the sidngr Import Export For WooCommerce plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.6.2. Successful exploitation leads to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), enabling attackers to persist malicious JavaScript within the WordPress site.
The underlying weakness is classified as [CWE-352] Cross-Site Request Forgery. Because the attack chain requires an authenticated administrator to visit an attacker-controlled page, exploitation depends on social engineering. Once triggered, the injected script executes in the context of any user visiting the affected page.
Critical Impact
An attacker who tricks a WooCommerce administrator into clicking a crafted link can inject persistent JavaScript, hijack sessions, or perform actions with administrative privileges.
Affected Products
- sidngr Import Export For WooCommerce plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.6.2
- WordPress sites using the import-export-for-woocommerce plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-16 - CVE-2025-48144 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-48144
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability chains two distinct weaknesses. First, the plugin fails to validate the origin of state-changing HTTP requests, missing anti-CSRF tokens (nonces) on sensitive administrative actions. Second, user-supplied input processed by those actions is stored without proper output encoding, resulting in Stored XSS.
An attacker crafts a malicious web page containing a form or JavaScript that submits a forged request to a vulnerable plugin endpoint. When an authenticated WordPress administrator visits the page, the browser automatically includes session cookies. The plugin processes the request as legitimate and persists attacker-controlled payloads.
The stored payload executes whenever an administrator or other user loads the affected admin page. Because the script runs in the browser context of a privileged user, it can create new administrator accounts, exfiltrate session tokens, or modify plugin configuration.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of WordPress nonce verification on plugin endpoints that accept user input. WordPress provides wp_verify_nonce() and check_admin_referer() for exactly this purpose, but the affected code paths do not invoke these checks. Compounding the issue, stored input is echoed back to admin pages without sanitization through functions such as esc_html() or esc_attr().
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network and requires user interaction from an authenticated administrator. The attacker hosts a malicious page or delivers a crafted link through phishing. The vulnerability does not require the attacker to hold any prior credentials on the target WordPress instance.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for further technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48144
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags or JavaScript event handlers within WooCommerce import/export configuration fields stored in the WordPress database.
- New or modified administrator accounts created shortly after an administrator visited an external link.
- Outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains referenced from WordPress admin pages.
Detection Strategies
- Audit the wp_options and wp_postmeta tables for entries containing <script, onerror=, or javascript: strings associated with the import-export-for-woocommerce plugin.
- Review web server access logs for POST requests to plugin endpoints lacking a valid Referer header from the same origin.
- Inspect the plugin's admin pages in a sandboxed browser session to identify rendered payloads.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging to track configuration changes, user creation, and plugin setting modifications.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to flag requests to WordPress admin endpoints missing anti-CSRF tokens.
- Monitor administrator browser sessions for anomalous JavaScript execution or unexpected DOM modifications on wp-admin pages.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48144
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Import Export For WooCommerce plugin to a version later than 1.6.2 as soon as a fixed release is available from the vendor.
- Deactivate the plugin if a patched version is not yet available and the functionality is not business-critical.
- Force administrators to log out of active WordPress sessions and rotate credentials after remediation.
Patch Information
Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest patch status. Administrators should verify the installed plugin version through the WordPress admin dashboard and apply updates through the standard plugin update mechanism.
Workarounds
- Restrict access to the WordPress admin interface using IP allow-listing at the web server or firewall layer.
- Enforce a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) on WordPress admin pages to limit inline script execution.
- Require administrators to use dedicated browsers or browser profiles that do not visit untrusted sites during WordPress sessions.
- Deploy a WordPress security plugin that adds nonce enforcement and CSRF protection to third-party plugin endpoints.
# Example: temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate import-export-for-woocommerce
wp plugin status import-export-for-woocommerce
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
