CVE-2025-68074: Image Carousel XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-68074 Overview

CVE-2025-68074 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] affecting the WordPress Image Carousel plugin in versions up to and including 1.0.0.41. The flaw allows authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges to inject malicious JavaScript into plugin-rendered output. When an administrator or site visitor loads the affected page, the injected script executes in their browser context. The vulnerability requires low privileges and user interaction, and its scope changes because injected scripts execute against other users. Patchstack tracks this issue in its WordPress plugin vulnerability database.

Critical Impact
Contributors can persist JavaScript payloads that execute in the browsers of higher-privileged users, enabling session theft, account takeover, and administrative action hijacking on affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

WordPress Image Carousel plugin versions <= 1.0.0.41
WordPress installations that permit Contributor-level registration or roles
Any site rendering carousel content generated by vulnerable plugin versions

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-26 - CVE-2025-68074 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-68074

Vulnerability Analysis

The Image Carousel plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied input submitted by users holding the Contributor role. Contributors typically create draft posts and cannot publish content directly, yet they can supply data to plugin fields that is later rendered without adequate encoding. The result is a stored XSS condition where JavaScript payloads persist in the WordPress database and execute when other users, including editors or administrators reviewing the content, load the affected page.

The vulnerability carries a scope change because the attacker (a Contributor) injects code that later runs under the security context of a different, typically higher-privileged, user. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are each rated low individually, but chained with administrator interaction the flaw can enable session hijacking, arbitrary WordPress administrative actions, and pivoting into further site compromise. The current EPSS probability is 0.161%.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient output encoding on Contributor-controlled parameters processed by the Image Carousel plugin. Input passes into HTML rendering paths without functions such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or wp_kses() being applied against the accepted context. This aligns with CWE-79, Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation.

Attack Vector

An attacker first obtains or is granted Contributor access to the target WordPress site. The attacker then submits carousel content containing crafted HTML or JavaScript through the plugin interface. Because delivery requires an administrator or editor to view the malicious content, the exploit depends on user interaction. Once triggered, the payload executes in the victim's browser session, allowing theft of authentication cookies, forced administrative requests, or defacement.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently referenced for CVE-2025-68074. Technical details are available in the Patchstack advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-68074

Indicators of Compromise

Carousel entries or post metadata containing <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: handlers authored by Contributor accounts
Unexpected outbound HTTP requests originating from administrator browser sessions immediately after previewing Contributor drafts
New administrative users, plugin installations, or option changes correlated with editor or administrator page views
WordPress wp_posts or plugin option rows containing encoded payloads such as %3Cscript%3E or base64-wrapped JavaScript

Detection Strategies

Audit stored plugin data for HTML event handlers and script tags submitted by non-privileged authors
Enable WordPress activity logging to correlate Contributor content submissions with subsequent administrator sessions
Monitor browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script executions on admin pages
Review web server access logs for anomalous POST requests from Contributor accounts targeting the plugin's endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on creation or modification of WordPress users with elevated capabilities following Contributor content activity
Track plugin file changes and unauthorized modifications to wp-options via file integrity monitoring
Flag administrator sessions that trigger unusual REST API calls immediately after viewing Contributor drafts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-68074

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Image Carousel plugin to a version later than 1.0.0.41 as soon as the vendor publishes a fixed release
Audit existing carousel entries and Contributor-authored posts for embedded scripts or suspicious HTML
Temporarily restrict or revoke the Contributor role on production sites until patched
Rotate administrator passwords and invalidate active sessions if suspicious Contributor activity is observed

Patch Information

At the time of publication, the Patchstack database entry is the primary reference for CVE-2025-68074. Administrators should monitor the WordPress plugin repository and the vendor advisory for a patched release beyond version 1.0.0.41 and apply it promptly.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Image Carousel plugin until a patched version is available
Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule to block script tags and event handlers in Contributor submissions
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts on /wp-admin/ and public-facing pages
Limit Contributor accounts to trusted users and disable open registration for that role

bash

# Example: disable the Image Carousel plugin via WP-CLI until patched
wp plugin deactivate image-carousel

# Optional: audit posts for suspicious script tags authored by Contributors
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_author, post_title FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%<script%' OR post_content LIKE '%onerror=%';"