CVE-2025-9877 Overview
CVE-2025-9877 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Embed Google Datastudio plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.0.0. The plugin's egds shortcode fails to properly sanitize user-supplied attributes and does not escape output. Authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript into pages. The injected script executes in the browser of any visitor who views the affected page. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-79.
Critical Impact
Authenticated contributors can inject persistent JavaScript that executes against site visitors and administrators, enabling session theft, account takeover, or redirection to malicious content.
Affected Products
- Embed Google Datastudio plugin for WordPress — all versions through 1.0.0
- WordPress sites allowing contributor-level or higher registrations
- Pages and posts rendering the egds shortcode
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-12 - CVE-2025-9877 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-9877
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the egds shortcode handler of the Embed Google Datastudio plugin. The shortcode accepts user-controlled attributes that are rendered into the page HTML without sanitization or output escaping. An authenticated attacker with contributor privileges can craft a post containing the shortcode with malicious attribute values. When the post is previewed or published and later viewed, the attacker-controlled payload executes in the viewer's browser session.
This is a stored XSS condition. The payload persists in the WordPress database until the offending post is removed or edited. Because contributor accounts are frequently granted on multi-author sites and blog platforms, the barrier to exploitation is low. Execution occurs in the context of the site origin, exposing authenticated cookies, session tokens, and administrative actions when an editor or administrator views the content.
Root Cause
The plugin's shortcode handler, referenced in the plugin source at core-init.php line 144, interpolates shortcode attributes directly into the output markup. There is no call to esc_attr(), esc_url(), or wp_kses() on the attribute values. The absence of input validation on the server side combined with missing output escaping on render produces the stored XSS primitive.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated session with contributor-level privileges or above. The attacker creates or edits a post, inserts the egds shortcode with a crafted attribute containing an event handler or script payload, and submits the post for review or publication. When any visitor loads the resulting page, the browser parses the attacker's payload as executable script. See the Wordfence vulnerability report for additional detail.
The vulnerability requires no user interaction beyond normal page browsing. The scope change in the CVSS vector reflects that script execution crosses the trust boundary between the plugin and the site visitor's browser context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-9877
Indicators of Compromise
- Posts or pages containing the egds shortcode with attribute values that include angle brackets, javascript: URIs, or HTML event handlers such as onerror, onload, or onclick.
- Unexpected outbound requests from site visitors' browsers to attacker-controlled domains.
- Contributor accounts creating or editing posts with embedded data studio shortcodes.
Detection Strategies
- Query the wp_posts table for post_content entries containing the string [egds to inventory shortcode usage across the site.
- Review audit logs for post creation and revision events by contributor-tier accounts.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule to flag shortcode attributes containing script tags, event handlers, or encoded payloads.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress activity logging to capture post edits by low-privilege roles.
- Monitor Content Security Policy (CSP) violation reports for inline script execution originating from post pages.
- Alert on new or modified posts that trigger shortcode rendering with unusual attribute content.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-9877
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the Embed Google Datastudio plugin until a patched release is available.
- Audit all existing posts for the egds shortcode and remove or sanitize suspicious instances.
- Review contributor and author accounts for legitimacy and reset credentials for any that appear suspicious.
Patch Information
No patched version is listed in the NVD entry at the time of publication. All versions up to and including 1.0.0 remain vulnerable. Monitor the WordPress plugin repository for an updated release and apply it when available.
Workarounds
- Remove or deactivate the plugin on affected WordPress installations.
- Restrict post creation and editing permissions by auditing contributor-level account assignments.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks shortcode attributes containing HTML tags, javascript: URIs, or event handler syntax.
- Implement a strict Content Security Policy that disallows inline script execution to limit payload impact.
# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate embed-google-data-studio
wp plugin delete embed-google-data-studio
# Search existing content for the vulnerable shortcode
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_title FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%[egds%';"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
