CVE-2025-49861: Kama Click Counter Stored XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-49861 Overview

CVE-2025-49861 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Kama Click Counter plugin for WordPress, developed by Timur Kamaev. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 4.0.3. It 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 application. The payload executes in the browser of any user who views the affected page, including administrators.

Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker can store malicious JavaScript that executes in other users' browsers, enabling session theft, forced administrative actions, and content manipulation across the WordPress site.

Affected Products

Timur Kamaev Kama Click Counter plugin for WordPress
All versions from initial release through 4.0.3
WordPress sites running the kama-clic-counter plugin

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-17 - CVE-2025-49861 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-49861

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue in the Kama Click Counter WordPress plugin. The plugin fails to properly neutralize input before it is reflected in generated web pages. An attacker submits a crafted payload containing HTML or JavaScript through an input field accepted by the plugin. The payload is written to persistent storage and later rendered without adequate output encoding. Every subsequent page view triggers execution of the injected script in the victim's browser context.

Exploitation requires low privileges and user interaction. The attack scope changes, meaning the injected code can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. Successful exploitation yields limited impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress site.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient sanitization and output encoding in code paths that handle user-supplied data within the kama-clic-counter plugin. The plugin accepts attacker-controlled input and persists it to the database. When the stored content is later rendered in administrative or front-end views, the application does not escape HTML control characters or filter active script content.

Attack Vector

The attack is delivered over the network against a WordPress instance running a vulnerable version of the plugin. An attacker with at least contributor-level or similar low-privileged access submits a payload containing JavaScript into a plugin input. A privileged user, typically an administrator reviewing click statistics or plugin pages, loads the view containing the stored payload. The browser executes the script under the trusted origin of the WordPress site. Refer to the PatchStack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-49861

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected <script>, onerror, onload, or javascript: strings stored in wp_options, wp_postmeta, or plugin-specific tables used by Kama Click Counter.
Administrator sessions generating outbound requests to unknown domains immediately after visiting plugin pages.
New administrative users, modified roles, or unexpected plugin installations following access to click-counter dashboards.

Detection Strategies

Query the WordPress database for plugin fields containing HTML tags or event handler attributes typical of XSS payloads.
Monitor WordPress audit logs for low-privileged accounts submitting content with unusual length or encoded characters to kama-clic-counter endpoints.
Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule set that inspects POST bodies destined for the plugin's admin-ajax or REST handlers for script content.

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on administrator browsers issuing unexpected XHR or fetch requests to the WordPress REST API shortly after loading plugin pages.
Track process and script creation on administrator endpoints to catch follow-on actions triggered by stolen session cookies.
Review access.log entries for anomalous parameter payloads targeting plugin files under /wp-content/plugins/kama-clic-counter/.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-49861

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress sites running the Kama Click Counter plugin version 4.0.3 or earlier and prioritize patching.
Restrict access to the WordPress administrative interface using IP allowlists or a reverse-proxy authentication layer until a fix is applied.
Audit user accounts for unauthorized privilege changes and rotate administrator credentials and session secrets if compromise is suspected.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no fixed version has been identified in the enriched data. The advisory lists all versions up to and including 4.0.3 as vulnerable. Monitor the PatchStack Vulnerability Report and the plugin's official WordPress.org page for a patched release.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the kama-clic-counter plugin until a patched version is published.
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to known trusted origins.
Deploy virtual patching through a WAF to block requests containing XSS payload patterns directed at plugin endpoints.

bash

# Configuration example: locate and disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin list --name=kama-clic-counter --fields=name,status,version
wp plugin deactivate kama-clic-counter
wp plugin delete kama-clic-counter