CVE-2025-23491
Published: 03 February 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-23491 is a high-severity Cross-site Scripting (CWE-79) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 7.1 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Spearphishing Link (T1566.002); ranked at the 17.3th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-15 (Information Output Filtering).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
SI-2 requires timely identification, reporting, and correction of flaws like this reflected XSS vulnerability in the VSTEMPLATE Creator plugin, directly preventing exploitation through patching.
SI-15 mandates filtering of information outputs to neutralize malicious scripts reflected in web pages, comprehensively addressing reflected XSS attacks.
SI-10 enforces validation of inputs to detect and reject malicious payloads before they are reflected unneutralized in web page generation.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Reflected XSS enables script injection via malicious links (T1566.002, T1204.001), JavaScript execution in browser (T1059.007), and session hijacking/data theft (T1185).
NVD Description
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Vikash Srivastava VSTEMPLATE Creator vstemplate-creator allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects VSTEMPLATE Creator: from n/a through <= 2.0.2.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-23491, published on 2025-02-03, is an Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability, classified as Reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) under CWE-79, in Vikash Srivastava's VSTEMPLATE Creator WordPress plugin (vstemplate-creator). The issue affects all versions from n/a through 2.0.2. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1, with vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L, indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, no required privileges, user interaction needed, changed scope, and low impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious inputs that are reflected back in web pages without proper neutralization, tricking users into interacting via phishing links or similar lures. No authentication is required, enabling unauthenticated attackers to target any site running the vulnerable plugin. Successful exploitation allows script injection in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions on behalf of the user, with the changed scope amplifying effects to site users or resources.
The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/vstemplate-creator/vulnerability/wordpress-vstemplate-creator-plugin-2-0-2-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve documents this reflected XSS vulnerability in the VSTEMPLATE Creator WordPress plugin up to version 2.0.2.
Details
- CWE(s)