CVE-2025-8062 Overview
CVE-2025-8062 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] in the WS Theme Addons plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 2.0.0. The root cause is insufficient input sanitization and output escaping of user-supplied attributes passed to the plugin's ws_weather shortcode. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript into pages. The injected scripts execute in the browser of any user who views the affected page.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can inject persistent JavaScript that executes in the context of any site visitor, including administrators, enabling session theft, account takeover, and arbitrary administrative actions.
Affected Products
- WS Theme Addons plugin for WordPress — all versions up to and including 2.0.0
- WordPress sites allowing contributor-level or higher registration
- Sites using the ws_weather shortcode supplied by the plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-23 - CVE-2025-8062 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-8062
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the shortcode handler defined in inc/class-ws-theme-addons-shortcodes.php at line 109. The ws_weather shortcode accepts user-controlled attributes and renders them into page output without sufficient sanitization or HTML-context escaping. Because WordPress contributors can author posts containing shortcodes, a low-privileged authenticated user can craft a shortcode invocation whose attribute values contain HTML or JavaScript payloads. When an editor, administrator, or visitor subsequently views the submitted or published content, the browser parses the attacker-controlled markup and executes the injected script in the site's origin.
The stored nature of this XSS increases its impact relative to reflected variants. The payload is persisted in the WordPress database and triggers automatically on page view. The scope change in the CVSS vector reflects that script executing in the browser can act beyond the vulnerable plugin, including issuing authenticated requests to WordPress REST endpoints on behalf of the viewing user.
Root Cause
The shortcode callback concatenates or outputs user-supplied attribute values without applying WordPress escaping functions such as esc_attr(), esc_html(), or wp_kses(). Shortcode attributes are untrusted input, and WordPress requires explicit output escaping at the point of rendering. The missing escaping, combined with contributor-level permission to use shortcodes, enables script storage and later execution.
Attack Vector
An authenticated attacker with contributor privileges submits a draft or page containing a crafted ws_weather shortcode. The attacker places JavaScript inside one of the shortcode's attributes. When a reviewer, editor, or administrator previews or publishes the content — or when any visitor loads the resulting page — the browser executes the payload. Common post-exploitation actions include stealing authentication cookies, creating new administrator accounts via the REST API, injecting backdoor plugins, or redirecting users to malicious infrastructure. See the WordPress Shortcodes Class Code and the Wordfence Vulnerability Intelligence advisory for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-8062
Indicators of Compromise
- Posts, pages, or custom post types containing [ws_weather] shortcodes with attribute values that include <script>, onerror=, onload=, or javascript: strings.
- Unexpected administrator accounts, modified user roles, or new plugins installed shortly after a contributor-authored post is viewed by an administrator.
- Outbound requests from editor or administrator browsers to unfamiliar external domains immediately after accessing contributor-submitted content.
Detection Strategies
- Query the wp_posts table for post_content entries matching the ws_weather shortcode and inspect attribute values for HTML or script syntax.
- Review WordPress audit logs for post creation and edit events by contributor-role accounts, correlated with subsequent administrator session activity.
- Scan rendered HTML output of pages containing the shortcode for script tags or event handlers that did not originate from theme or plugin templates.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to capture contributor post submissions, role changes, and plugin installations.
- Deploy a web application firewall with rules that inspect shortcode attributes and request bodies for XSS signatures.
- Monitor browser Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports to surface injected inline scripts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-8062
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the WS Theme Addons plugin to a version later than 2.0.0 once the vendor publishes a patched release.
- If no patched version is available, deactivate and remove the WS Theme Addons plugin from affected WordPress installations.
- Audit all existing content for malicious ws_weather shortcode usage and remove any suspicious attribute payloads.
- Rotate credentials and session tokens for administrator accounts that may have viewed attacker-controlled content.
Patch Information
As of the last NVD update on 2026-06-17, no fixed version is explicitly identified in the public advisory. Monitor the WordPress Plugin Developer Page for release notes and the Wordfence Vulnerability Intelligence entry for patch availability.
Workarounds
- Restrict the contributor role or disable new user registration until the plugin is patched or removed.
- Configure a web application firewall rule to block requests whose POST bodies contain ws_weather shortcodes with HTML tags in attribute values.
- Apply a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline script execution to limit the impact of stored XSS payloads.
# Configuration example: remove the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate ws-theme-addons
wp plugin delete ws-theme-addons
# Audit existing content for the vulnerable shortcode
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title, post_author FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%[ws_weather%';"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
