CVE-2025-23521
Published: 03 March 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-23521 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 JavaScript (T1059.007); ranked at the 45.9th 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-15 requires output filtering to neutralize untrusted input during web page generation, directly preventing reflected XSS exploitation in the Goodlayers Blocks WordPress plugin.
SI-10 enforces input validation to reject or sanitize malicious payloads before they can be reflected in web pages by the vulnerable plugin.
SI-2 mandates timely flaw remediation, such as patching Goodlayers Blocks beyond version 1.0.1 to eliminate the specific XSS vulnerability.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Reflected XSS directly enables arbitrary JavaScript execution in the victim's browser context via crafted URLs; this can be delivered and facilitated through spearphishing links requiring user interaction.
NVD Description
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in GoodLayers Goodlayers Blocks goodlayers-blocks allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Goodlayers Blocks: from n/a through <= 1.0.1.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-23521 is an Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability, classified as Reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) under CWE-79, in the Goodlayers Blocks WordPress plugin (goodlayers-blocks). This issue affects all versions from n/a through 1.0.1. The vulnerability was published on 2025-03-03 and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L).
The vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers with no privileges required, leveraging low attack complexity over the network, though it necessitates user interaction such as visiting a maliciously crafted webpage or clicking a link. Successful exploitation enables script execution in the victim's browser context, resulting in low impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with a changed scope that may affect other users or resources.
Patchstack's advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/goodlayers-blocks/vulnerability/wordpress-goodlayers-blocks-plugin-1-0-1-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve documents the vulnerability in the Goodlayers Blocks WordPress plugin version 1.0.1.
Details
- CWE(s)