CVE-2025-6462: EZ SQL Reports WordPress Plugin XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-6462 Overview

CVE-2025-6462 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 5.25.11. The vulnerability exists in the plugin's SQLREPORT shortcode, which fails to properly sanitize input and escape output on user-supplied attributes [CWE-79]. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or above can inject arbitrary web scripts into pages. Those scripts execute in the browser of any user who views the affected page, enabling session theft, credential harvesting, and administrative account takeover.

Critical Impact
Contributor-level accounts can plant persistent JavaScript that executes against site administrators, leading to full WordPress site compromise.

Affected Products

EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup plugin for WordPress — all versions through 5.25.11
WordPress sites permitting contributor-or-higher registration with the plugin active
Multi-author WordPress installations that rely on the SQLREPORT shortcode for reporting

Discovery Timeline

2025-06-29 - CVE-2025-6462 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-6462

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the handler for the SQLREPORT shortcode exposed by the EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup plugin. When WordPress renders a post or page containing the shortcode, the plugin reads attribute values supplied by the content author and reflects them into the rendered HTML. The plugin does not apply WordPress sanitization helpers such as sanitize_text_field() to the incoming attributes, nor does it escape values on output using esc_attr() or esc_html(). As a result, attribute values containing HTML or JavaScript payloads render as executable markup in the visitor's browser. Because the payload is stored in the post content itself, every subsequent view of the page triggers script execution in the visitor's session context. The scope-change component of the scoring reflects that a contributor's low-privilege input impacts higher-privilege administrator sessions when they preview or edit the post.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input sanitization and missing output escaping on shortcode attribute values passed to SQLREPORT. Standard WordPress shortcode security practice requires that attributes flow through shortcode_atts() combined with per-value sanitization and context-appropriate escaping before rendering. The plugin omits these steps, so attacker-controlled markup is written verbatim into the HTML document.

Attack Vector

An attacker requires an authenticated account with at least contributor privileges on the target WordPress site. The attacker creates or edits a post that embeds the SQLREPORT shortcode with a malicious attribute value containing JavaScript. When an administrator, editor, or site visitor loads the page, the injected script executes with the victim's browser session. Typical post-exploitation activity includes stealing authentication cookies, submitting authenticated requests to create administrator accounts, and pivoting to plugin or theme editor endpoints for remote code execution. The SQLREPORT shortcode processes attacker-controlled attributes without sanitization. See the Wordfence Vulnerability Intelligence advisory and the WordPress Trac Changeset for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-6462

Indicators of Compromise

Post or page content containing [SQLREPORT ...] shortcodes with attribute values that include <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: sequences.
Unexpected WordPress user accounts created shortly after an administrator viewed a contributor-authored post.
Outbound browser requests from wp-admin sessions to unfamiliar external domains observed in web proxy logs.
Modifications to wp_options, active plugin list, or theme files immediately following administrator page previews.

Detection Strategies

Query the wp_posts table for post_content values matching the SQLREPORT shortcode combined with HTML event handlers or <script tags.
Deploy a web application firewall rule that inspects shortcode attribute values for HTML and JavaScript payloads on POST requests to /wp-admin/post.php and /wp-admin/post-new.php.
Correlate contributor role account activity with subsequent administrator account creation events in WordPress audit logs.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to record post creation, revision, and shortcode changes by contributor-level users.
Forward WordPress access logs and PHP error logs to a central SIEM for cross-user correlation and long-term retention.
Alert on any promotion of a user to administrator or editor role and on modifications to wp-config.php or files under wp-content/plugins/.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-6462

Immediate Actions Required

Update the EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup plugin to the patched release published in changeset 3318513.
Audit all existing posts and pages for SQLREPORT shortcodes containing script tags or event handlers and remove malicious content.
Review the WordPress user list and revoke accounts that were unexpectedly promoted or created since the plugin was installed.
Rotate administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions using a session management plugin or by rotating authentication salts in wp-config.php.

Patch Information

The vendor addressed the issue in a subsequent release; see the WordPress Trac Changeset and the plugin developer page for version details. The fix adds sanitization and escaping to the shortcode attribute handling code path.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove the EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup plugin if it is not actively used.
Restrict contributor and author registration on sites that do not require multi-author workflows.
Deploy a WordPress-aware web application firewall with rules blocking script payloads inside shortcode attributes.
Apply the WordPress capability filter to strip the edit_posts capability from untrusted contributor accounts pending patching.

bash

# Configuration example: remove the vulnerable plugin from the CLI using wp-cli
wp plugin deactivate elisqlreports
wp plugin uninstall elisqlreports

# Verify removal
wp plugin list --status=active | grep -i elisqlreports