CVE-2025-8073: WooCommerce AJAX Filters XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-8073 Overview

CVE-2025-8073 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability [CWE-79] affecting the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 1.3.7. It stems from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on the name parameter used within the plugin's filter template. Authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript that executes in the browser of any user visiting the affected page.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with Contributor privileges can persist malicious scripts that run in visitors' browsers, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and administrative account takeover on WooCommerce storefronts.

Affected Products

Dynamic AJAX Product Filters for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress
All versions up to and including 1.3.7
WordPress sites running WooCommerce with this plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-28 - CVE-2025-8073 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-8073

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the plugin's filter template rendering logic, specifically in includes/filter-template.php. The name parameter accepted by the plugin is written into rendered output without adequate sanitization on input or escaping on output. Because the injected payload is stored server-side and later reflected in pages served to site visitors, this is a persistent XSS condition rather than a reflected one.

Exploitation requires authenticated access at the Contributor role or above. WordPress Contributors can create and edit their own posts, which gives them the ability to embed the vulnerable shortcode or configuration containing the malicious name value. Once stored, the payload executes in the browser context of any user rendering the affected page, including administrators.

Root Cause

The root cause is a failure to apply WordPress core escaping functions such as esc_attr() or esc_html() to the name parameter before emitting it into HTML output. Input sanitization routines such as sanitize_text_field() are also absent on the ingest path. This combination allows raw HTML and script tags supplied by an attacker to persist and render.

Attack Vector

The attack is remote and requires low-privileged authentication with no user interaction beyond a victim visiting the affected page. Scope is changed, meaning script execution occurs in the security context of the browsing user rather than the attacker. An attacker with a Contributor account crafts a filter element containing a JavaScript payload in the name parameter, saves the content, and waits for higher-privileged users or site visitors to load the page. Successful execution can lead to cookie theft, forced administrative actions via CSRF-style requests, or redirection to attacker-controlled infrastructure.

Refer to the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the WordPress Plugin Template Code for the specific sink location.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-8073

Indicators of Compromise

Post or page content containing unexpected <script> tags, on* event handlers, or javascript: URIs within filter shortcode attributes
Database entries in wp_posts or plugin option tables referencing the name parameter with encoded HTML or script fragments
Unusual outbound HTTP requests from administrator browsing sessions to unknown domains shortly after loading WooCommerce filter pages
Creation of new administrator accounts or unexpected role changes following Contributor account activity

Detection Strategies

Scan the WordPress database for stored payloads matching patterns such as <script, onerror=, or onload= within plugin-related post meta and options
Audit WordPress user activity logs for Contributor-level accounts editing content that renders filter templates
Compare the installed plugin version against 1.3.7 and flag any instance at or below that version

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable a Content Security Policy (CSP) with script-src restrictions and monitor CSP violation reports for inline script attempts
Log and review all HTTP POST requests to wp-admin/post.php and admin-ajax.php originating from Contributor accounts
Track administrator session activity, including cookie usage and privilege changes, for anomalous behavior following visits to storefront pages

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-8073

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters for WooCommerce plugin to the patched version released in WordPress Changeset #3350071
Audit all Contributor and higher-privileged accounts and remove any that are unused, unknown, or unauthorized
Review recent post and page revisions for injected script content and revert or sanitize affected entries
Rotate administrator passwords and invalidate active WordPress sessions if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

The vendor addressed the issue in a subsequent release referenced by WordPress Changeset #3350071. Site owners should upgrade to the latest available version via the WordPress plugin repository. See the WordPress Plugin Developer Page for release history and changelog details.

Workarounds

Temporarily deactivate the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters for WooCommerce plugin until the patched version is deployed
Restrict Contributor role assignments and require editorial review before publishing content from lower-privileged users
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks HTML tags and JavaScript event handlers submitted to plugin filter parameters
Enforce a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline scripts and unauthorized script sources

bash

# Verify installed plugin version and update via WP-CLI
wp plugin get dynamic-ajax-product-filters-for-woocommerce --field=version
wp plugin update dynamic-ajax-product-filters-for-woocommerce

# If a patched version is not yet available, deactivate the plugin
wp plugin deactivate dynamic-ajax-product-filters-for-woocommerce