CVE-2025-23699
Published: 16 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-23699 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 Malicious Link (T1204.001); ranked at the 42.7th 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 filtering information prior to output to users, directly preventing reflected XSS in the Event Countdown Timer plugin by ensuring unsanitized attacker input is not rendered executable in web pages.
SI-10 enforces validation of all information inputs, blocking malicious payloads from being accepted and reflected unsanitized by the vulnerable WordPress plugin.
SI-2 mandates identification, reporting, and remediation of flaws like CVE-2025-23699, enabling timely patching of affected Event Countdown Timer plugin versions <=1.4.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Reflected XSS allows attacker-controlled script execution in victim's browser via crafted URL, directly enabling malicious link user execution and facilitating browser session hijacking or web session cookie theft.
NVD Description
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in techmix Event Countdown Timer Plugin by TechMix event-countdown-timer allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Event Countdown Timer Plugin by TechMix: from n/a through <= 1.4.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-23699 is an Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability, classified as Reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) under CWE-79, affecting the Event Countdown Timer Plugin by TechMix (event-countdown-timer) for WordPress. The issue impacts all versions from n/a through 1.4 inclusive. Published on 2025-01-16T20:15:45.060, it 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).
Unauthenticated attackers accessible over the network can exploit this with low attack complexity by tricking users into performing an action, such as visiting a maliciously crafted URL. Exploitation enables reflected XSS, where attacker-controlled input is reflected unsanitized in the web page, allowing script execution in the victim's browser context. This achieves low impacts to confidentiality (e.g., limited data exposure), integrity (e.g., minor modifications), and availability (e.g., minor disruptions), with a changed scope due to cross-context execution.
The Patchstack advisory provides details on this vulnerability in the Event Countdown Timer plugin version 1.4; security practitioners should consult https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/event-countdown-timer/vulnerability/wordpress-event-countdown-timer-plugin-by-techmix-plugin-1-4-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve for mitigation guidance and patch information.
Details
- CWE(s)