CVE-2025-49314: BRW ova-brw Stored XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49314 Overview

CVE-2025-49314 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] in the ovatheme BRW (ova-brw) WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.8.6. It stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, allowing an authenticated attacker with low privileges to persist malicious script content that executes in the browsers of other users.

The vulnerability requires user interaction to trigger the injected payload. Successful exploitation results in script execution in the victim's session context, which can lead to account actions, content manipulation, or theft of session data.

Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker can store JavaScript payloads that execute against administrators or site visitors, enabling session compromise and site tampering.

Affected Products

ovatheme BRW (ova-brw) WordPress plugin versions n/a through 1.8.6
WordPress sites running the vulnerable BRW booking plugin
Any deployment where low-privileged users can submit content to the plugin

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-06 - CVE-2025-49314 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49314

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a stored XSS in the BRW plugin. The plugin accepts input from an authenticated user and later renders that input in the web page output without adequate sanitization or contextual output encoding. Because the payload is persisted server-side, every subsequent page render that includes the tainted field re-executes the script for viewers.

Exploitation requires low privileges and user interaction. The scope is changed, meaning the injected script executes in a security context different from the vulnerable component, which is characteristic of XSS reaching an administrative or third-party viewer's browser.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation [CWE-79]. Plugin code paths in versions up to 1.8.6 fail to apply output encoding functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() when rendering user-controlled fields. Input validation on the write path is likewise insufficient to strip HTML and JavaScript constructs.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker with low privileges submits crafted input containing HTML or JavaScript through a plugin form field. The malicious content is stored in the WordPress database. When a privileged user or site visitor loads a page that renders the stored value, the browser parses and executes the payload in the site's origin. See the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report for advisory details.

No public proof-of-concept code is available. The vulnerability is described in prose because verified exploit code has not been released.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49314

Indicators of Compromise

Stored plugin records containing <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: fragments in BRW-managed fields
Unexpected outbound requests from administrator browsers to attacker-controlled domains after viewing plugin pages
New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after a low-privileged user submits BRW content
Anomalous session token usage across geographies for accounts that recently visited BRW-rendered pages

Detection Strategies

Inspect the WordPress database for BRW plugin records containing HTML control characters or scripting keywords in user-supplied fields
Deploy a web application firewall rule that flags requests to BRW plugin endpoints carrying <script, event-handler attributes, or encoded equivalents
Enable Content Security Policy reporting and monitor report-uri entries for violations originating on BRW-rendered pages

Monitoring Recommendations

Log and review all POST requests to BRW plugin submission endpoints, correlating on user role and payload size
Alert on WordPress administrator sessions that exhibit script-driven DOM activity immediately after loading plugin views
Track plugin version inventory across managed WordPress sites to identify hosts still running BRW 1.8.6 or earlier

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49314

Immediate Actions Required

Update the ovatheme BRW plugin to a version later than 1.8.6 as soon as a fixed release is available from the vendor
Audit all existing BRW plugin content for previously stored script payloads and remove tainted records
Restrict which user roles can submit content to the BRW plugin, limiting the low-privilege attack surface

Patch Information

Refer to the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report for the latest patch guidance. Versions up to and including 1.8.6 are affected; apply the vendor-supplied fix once released and confirm the plugin version after upgrade.

Workarounds

Disable the BRW plugin until a patched version is installed if the booking functionality is not business-critical
Deploy a web application firewall with rules that block XSS payloads targeting BRW plugin endpoints
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins
Revoke content submission privileges for untrusted low-privileged accounts on affected sites

bash

# Configuration example: enumerate and update the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=ova-brw --fields=name,version,status
wp plugin update ova-brw
wp plugin deactivate ova-brw   # temporary workaround if no patch is available