CVE-2025-6744: Xtemos Woodmart RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-6744 Overview

The Woodmart theme for WordPress, a popular WooCommerce theme developed by Xtemos, contains an arbitrary shortcode execution vulnerability affecting all versions up to and including 8.2.3. The vulnerability exists due to improper validation of user-supplied input before passing it to the do_shortcode() function through the woodmart_get_products_shortcode() function. This code injection flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary WordPress shortcodes, potentially leading to information disclosure, site defacement, or further exploitation of registered shortcode functionality.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary shortcodes on vulnerable WordPress installations, potentially compromising site integrity, exposing sensitive data, or leveraging other plugin shortcodes for expanded attack surfaces.

Affected Products

• Xtemos Woodmart theme for WordPress versions ≤ 8.2.3
• WordPress installations using vulnerable Woodmart theme versions
• WooCommerce-powered sites utilizing the Woodmart theme

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-6744 published to NVD
• 2025-07-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-6744

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as Code Injection (CWE-94), specifically targeting WordPress shortcode execution mechanisms. The Woodmart theme exposes the woodmart_get_products_shortcode() function which fails to properly sanitize and validate user-controlled input before invoking WordPress's do_shortcode() function.

WordPress shortcodes are powerful macro codes that expand into complex functionality when processed. When an application allows untrusted input to be passed directly to do_shortcode(), attackers can inject and execute any registered shortcode on the WordPress installation—including those from other plugins that may perform sensitive operations like database queries, file operations, or user management tasks.

The network-accessible attack vector with no authentication requirements makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for public-facing WordPress sites. An attacker needs only to craft a malicious request targeting the vulnerable function to execute arbitrary shortcodes.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the woodmart_get_products_shortcode() function's failure to implement proper input validation and sanitization. The function accepts user-supplied parameters and passes them to WordPress's do_shortcode() without verifying that the shortcode content is within expected bounds or from a trusted source. This violates the security principle of never trusting user input, especially when that input is used in code execution contexts.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by unauthenticated attackers. An attacker can craft HTTP requests to the WordPress site that trigger the vulnerable woodmart_get_products_shortcode() function with malicious shortcode payloads. The attack does not require user interaction, making it suitable for automated exploitation.

The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying a WordPress site using a vulnerable Woodmart theme version
2. Locating endpoints or AJAX handlers that invoke woodmart_get_products_shortcode()
3. Injecting malicious shortcode content through the user-controlled parameters
4. The injected shortcode executes with the privileges of the WordPress application

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-6744

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests containing shortcode syntax (bracket notation) targeting Woodmart AJAX endpoints
• Unexpected shortcode execution in access logs, particularly with unfamiliar shortcode names
• Web server logs showing requests to woodmart_get_products_shortcode handlers with suspicious parameters
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unauthorized content changes following shortcode-pattern requests

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block shortcode injection patterns in request parameters
• Monitor WordPress debug logs for unexpected shortcode execution errors or warnings
• Deploy endpoint detection to identify unauthorized WordPress file modifications or database changes
• Audit access logs for requests containing bracket notation ([ and ]) in unusual parameter positions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable WordPress activity logging to track shortcode execution events
• Configure alerting for AJAX requests to Woodmart theme endpoints with unusual payload sizes
• Monitor for new user account creation or privilege escalation following suspicious requests
• Implement real-time file integrity monitoring for WordPress theme and plugin directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-6744

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Woodmart theme to a version newer than 8.2.3 that includes the security fix
• Review WordPress access logs for evidence of exploitation attempts
• Audit installed plugins for shortcodes that could be abused if executed by attackers
• Consider temporarily disabling the Woodmart theme if an immediate update is not possible

Patch Information

Organizations should update to the latest version of the Woodmart theme available from ThemeForest. The patched version addresses the input validation issue in the woodmart_get_products_shortcode() function to prevent arbitrary shortcode execution.

Verify your current Woodmart theme version in the WordPress admin dashboard under Appearance > Themes or by checking the style.css file in the theme directory.

Workarounds

• Implement WAF rules to filter requests containing shortcode patterns targeting Woodmart endpoints
• Restrict access to WordPress AJAX handlers using server-level access controls where feasible
• Disable or remove unnecessary plugins that register potentially dangerous shortcodes
• Consider using a maintenance mode or static page while awaiting the theme update

# Example: Block suspicious shortcode patterns in Apache .htaccess
# Add to WordPress root .htaccess file
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\[|\%5B).+(\]|\%5D) [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} woodmart [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>