CVE-2025-53331 Overview
CVE-2025-53331 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the samcharrington RSS Digest plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions through 1.5 and allows attackers to chain CSRF with Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) against authenticated administrators. An attacker can craft a malicious request that, when triggered by an authenticated user visiting an attacker-controlled page, injects persistent JavaScript into the WordPress site. The injected script executes in the context of subsequent visitors, including site administrators.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation enables persistent script injection in the WordPress admin context, leading to session hijacking, content tampering, and potential account takeover.
Affected Products
- samcharrington RSS Digest plugin for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.5
- WordPress installations running the vulnerable rss-digest plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-53331 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-53331
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability stems from missing CSRF protections in the RSS Digest plugin's settings handler [CWE-352]. The plugin processes state-changing requests without validating a WordPress nonce or verifying request origin. Submitted input is also stored without proper output encoding, which produces a Stored XSS sink reachable through the CSRF entry point.
An attacker hosts a page that auto-submits a forged form to the vulnerable plugin endpoint. When a logged-in WordPress administrator visits that page, the browser sends authenticated cookies with the forged request. The plugin accepts the payload and stores attacker-controlled script content in plugin options or rendered output. The script then executes whenever an administrator or visitor loads the affected page.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of nonce verification using WordPress functions such as wp_verify_nonce() or check_admin_referer() on plugin form handlers. Compounding the issue, user-supplied data is not sanitized with sanitize_text_field() or escaped with esc_html() and esc_attr() before storage and rendering.
Attack Vector
The attack requires network access and user interaction from an authenticated administrator. The attacker delivers the exploit through phishing emails, malicious advertisements, or compromised sites. No prior privileges on the target WordPress instance are required. The scope changes because injected script executes in the browser context of any subsequent user loading the affected page.
No proof-of-concept exploit is publicly available, and no exploitation in the wild has been reported. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53331
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script> tags, event handlers, or obfuscated JavaScript inside RSS Digest plugin options or rendered widget output.
- WordPress administrator sessions performing plugin configuration changes immediately after visiting external links.
- Outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsers to unfamiliar domains shortly after loading WordPress admin pages.
Detection Strategies
- Audit the WordPress wp_options table and plugin-specific option keys for entries containing HTML or JavaScript payloads.
- Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to RSS Digest plugin endpoints lacking valid Referer headers or nonce parameters.
- Review WordPress audit logs for plugin setting modifications that do not correlate with legitimate administrator activity.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule set that flags CSRF patterns and inline script content in POST bodies destined for /wp-admin/.
- Monitor administrator account activity for anomalous configuration changes and unexpected new users with elevated roles.
- Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation of plugin write events with external browsing activity.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53331
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the RSS Digest plugin until a patched release is published by the maintainer.
- Force a password reset and session invalidation for all WordPress administrator accounts.
- Inspect plugin-stored settings and remove any injected script content from the database.
Patch Information
No fixed version is listed in the advisory at the time of publication. The vulnerability affects RSS Digest through 1.5. Monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for vendor updates and apply patches immediately upon release.
Workarounds
- Remove the rss-digest plugin directory from wp-content/plugins/ if a patch is not yet available.
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/ using IP allowlists or HTTP authentication at the web server layer.
- Enforce administrator browsing hygiene by separating admin sessions from general web browsing using dedicated browser profiles.
# Configuration example - disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate rss-digest
wp plugin delete rss-digest
# Verify removal
wp plugin list --status=active | grep rss-digest
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
