CVE-2025-57989: WordPress Widgets Shortcode XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-57989 Overview

CVE-2025-57989 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Brajesh Singh WordPress Widgets Shortcode plugin (wp-widgets-shortcode). The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.3. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject persistent JavaScript payloads that execute in the browser of any user who views the affected page. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-79 for improper neutralization of input during web page generation.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can inject stored JavaScript payloads that execute in victim browsers, enabling session theft, administrative action forgery, and site defacement within WordPress environments running the vulnerable plugin.

Affected Products

Brajesh Singh WordPress Widgets Shortcode plugin (wp-widgets-shortcode)
All versions from n/a through 1.0.3
WordPress sites running the plugin with contributor-level or higher accounts

Discovery Timeline

2025-09-22 - CVE-2025-57989 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-57989

Vulnerability Analysis

The WordPress Widgets Shortcode plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied input before rendering it within page output. Attackers with authenticated access can submit crafted input containing HTML or JavaScript through plugin-controlled fields. The malicious content is stored in the WordPress database and served to visitors on subsequent page loads.

Because the payload persists server-side, every user who loads the affected page executes the injected script under the site's origin. The scope change in the vulnerability metrics indicates that a successful attack can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, such as authenticated administrator sessions.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing output encoding and input sanitization in the plugin's shortcode rendering logic. WordPress provides helper functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses_post() for neutralizing user-controlled data before output. The vulnerable plugin does not consistently apply these functions to widget shortcode content, allowing raw HTML and script tags to reach the DOM.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires an attacker to hold an authenticated account with permission to configure widgets or submit shortcode content, and requires a victim to visit the compromised page. The attacker inserts a JavaScript payload into a widget field processed by the plugin. When another user, including an administrator, loads a page rendering that widget, the browser executes the payload with the victim's session context.

Refer to the Patchstack XSS Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-57989

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected <script>, <iframe>, or event-handler attributes stored in wp_posts, wp_options, or widget-related tables
Outbound HTTP requests from visitor browsers to unfamiliar domains after loading pages containing plugin shortcodes
New or modified WordPress administrator accounts created shortly after widget content changes
Suspicious edits to widget configuration by low-privilege accounts

Detection Strategies

Audit database rows containing plugin shortcodes for HTML tags, JavaScript URIs, or encoded payloads such as javascript: and onerror=
Review WordPress audit logs for widget or shortcode modifications made by contributor or author accounts
Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects POST requests targeting widget administration endpoints for XSS signatures

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to capture user, timestamp, and content of widget changes
Monitor browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script executions on pages using the plugin
Alert on new outbound domains contacted from authenticated admin sessions in web proxy logs

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-57989

Immediate Actions Required

Deactivate and remove the WordPress Widgets Shortcode plugin until a patched release is confirmed available
Audit all existing widget content for injected scripts or unauthorized HTML and remove malicious entries
Rotate credentials for any WordPress administrator or editor accounts that may have viewed compromised pages
Review recent user registrations and role changes to identify unauthorized privilege escalation

Patch Information

At the time of NVD publication, no fixed version had been released beyond 1.0.3. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the WordPress plugin repository for an updated release addressing the sanitization failure.

Workarounds

Restrict widget and shortcode editing permissions to trusted administrator accounts only
Deploy a Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and untrusted script sources on WordPress front-end pages
Place a web application firewall in front of /wp-admin/ endpoints to filter XSS payloads in widget submissions
Replace the plugin's functionality with a maintained alternative that properly escapes shortcode output

bash

# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate wp-widgets-shortcode
wp plugin delete wp-widgets-shortcode

# Restrict widget editing capabilities to administrators only
wp cap remove editor edit_theme_options
wp cap remove author edit_theme_options