CVE-2025-53296: EC Stars Rating Stored XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-53296 is a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the EC Stars Rating WordPress plugin affecting versions up to 1.0.11. Attackers can inject malicious scripts that execute in users' browsers. This article covers technical details, affected versions, security impact, and mitigation strategies.

CVE-2025-53296 Overview

CVE-2025-53296 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the ec-stars-rating WordPress plugin developed by ecoal95. The flaw affects EC Stars Rating versions up to and including 1.0.11. Attackers with high privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of users who view affected pages. The issue is tracked under CWE-79, Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can store malicious scripts that execute across a scope change, enabling session theft, admin account hijacking, and content manipulation within the WordPress site.

Affected Products

ecoal95 EC Stars Rating plugin for WordPress
All versions from n/a through 1.0.11
WordPress installations using the ec-stars-rating plugin

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-53296 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-53296

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input rendered in HTML output by the EC Stars Rating plugin. Attacker-controlled data is stored on the server and later reflected into web pages without adequate encoding or sanitization.

When the affected pages render, the browser executes the injected script in the context of the WordPress origin. Because the injection is stored, every subsequent visitor to the affected view triggers the payload. The scope change indicated by the CVSS vector reflects that the executed script can act beyond the vulnerable plugin's own boundary and interact with the wider WordPress session.

Exploitation requires high privileges and user interaction, limiting the pool of viable attackers to authenticated users with elevated roles. Successful exploitation yields limited but meaningful impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the WordPress site.

Root Cause

The plugin fails to apply output encoding or input sanitization to fields that accept user-controlled values. Consult the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report for the specific injection point identified by researchers.

Attack Vector

An authenticated attacker submits a crafted payload containing HTML or JavaScript through a plugin input field. The payload persists in the WordPress database. When a victim loads a page rendering that stored data, the script executes with the victim's privileges within the WordPress origin.

No verified proof-of-concept code has been published. See the linked Patchstack advisory for additional technical detail on the injection surface.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53296

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected <script> tags, event handlers, or encoded JavaScript within stored plugin fields in the WordPress database
Outbound requests from admin browser sessions to unfamiliar domains after viewing rating-related pages
New or modified WordPress administrator accounts following visits to pages rendered by the EC Stars Rating plugin
Unexplained plugin option changes or injected content in post metadata associated with the plugin

Detection Strategies

Review plugin-related database tables and post content for HTML tags and JavaScript keywords in fields that should only contain plain text
Inspect web server access logs for authenticated POST requests to plugin endpoints containing script payloads or HTML entities
Deploy a web application firewall rule set that flags stored XSS patterns targeting WordPress plugin endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor administrator session activity for anomalous DOM interactions and outbound HTTP requests originating from wp-admin pages
Enable WordPress audit logging to record content updates, plugin option changes, and privilege escalations
Alert on the installation or activation of vulnerable versions of ec-stars-rating across managed WordPress environments

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53296

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress instances running the ec-stars-rating plugin at version 1.0.11 or earlier
Deactivate the plugin if a patched release is unavailable and the functionality is not business-critical
Restrict WordPress administrator and editor accounts to trusted personnel and enforce multi-factor authentication
Review recent content and plugin option changes for signs of injected script payloads

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no fixed version has been publicly indicated in the NVD record. Monitor the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report and the plugin repository for a patched release, and apply it as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Remove or deactivate the ec-stars-rating plugin until a fixed version is released
Deploy a web application firewall with rules that block XSS payloads targeting the affected plugin endpoints
Apply a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and restricts script sources to trusted origins
Reduce the number of accounts with high privileges to minimize the attack surface for authenticated exploitation