CVE-2025-53228
Published: 20 February 2026
Summary
CVE-2025-53228 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 Drive-by Compromise (T1189); ranked at the 3.1th 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).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2025-53228 is an Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability, classified as Reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) under CWE-79, in the bbPress Simple Advert Units WordPress plugin by jezza101. This issue affects all versions of the plugin from n/a through 0.41 inclusive. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L, indicating network accessibility, low attack complexity, no privileges required, user interaction needed, changed scope, and low impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Any unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by delivering malicious input that is reflected unsanitized into dynamically generated web pages. Exploitation requires tricking a user into interacting with the crafted payload, such as clicking a link or viewing a page, which triggers script execution in the victim's browser context. Successful attacks could enable theft of session cookies, defacement, or other client-side impacts aligned with the low-rated confidentiality, integrity, and availability effects.
Patchstack provides details on this vulnerability, including the specific Cross-site Scripting issue in bbPress Simple Advert Units version 0.41, via their advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/bbpress-simple-advert-units/vulnerability/wordpress-bbpress-simple-advert-units-plugin-0-41-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve. Security practitioners should consult this reference for recommended mitigations, such as updating the plugin or applying available patches.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-207571
Vulnerability details
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in jezza101 bbpress Simple Advert Units bbpress-simple-advert-units allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects bbpress Simple Advert Units: from n/a through <= 0.41.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Reflected XSS enables drive-by compromise via malicious links and direct theft of web session cookies through unsanitized script execution in the victim's browser.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly requires validation and neutralization of untrusted input before it is reflected into web page output, preventing the exact CWE-79 flaw described.
Mandates filtering or encoding of information sent to users, blocking unsanitized reflected script payloads from executing in the victim's browser.
Provides malicious-code detection and blocking mechanisms that can identify or stop reflected XSS payloads delivered via crafted links.