CVE-2025-13448
📋 TL;DR
The CSSIgniter Shortcodes WordPress plugin has a stored XSS vulnerability in the 'element' shortcode attribute. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can inject malicious scripts that execute when users view affected pages. This affects all versions up to and including 2.4.1.
💻 Affected Systems
- CSSIgniter Shortcodes WordPress Plugin
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal admin credentials, redirect users to malicious sites, deface websites, or install backdoors for persistent access.
Likely Case
Attackers with contributor accounts inject malicious scripts to steal user session cookies or redirect visitors to phishing pages.
If Mitigated
With proper user role management and input validation, impact is limited to potential defacement of specific pages.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward once an attacker has Contributor privileges.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.4.2 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find CSSIgniter Shortcodes and click 'Update Now'. 4. Verify version is 2.4.2 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate cssigniter-shortcodes
Restrict User Roles
allRemove Contributor role access or implement stricter role controls
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads
- Apply Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → CSSIgniter Shortcodes → Version. If version is 2.4.1 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get cssigniter-shortcodes --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows 2.4.2 or higher in WordPress admin.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to wp-admin with 'element' parameter containing script tags
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful Contributor login
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections to suspicious domains after page loads
- Unexpected JavaScript execution in page responses
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/*" AND (param="element" AND value CONTAINS "<script>"))🔗 References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/cssigniter-shortcodes/tags/2.4.1/ci-shortcodes.php#L117
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/cssigniter-shortcodes/trunk/ci-shortcodes.php#L117
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3408092%40cssigniter-shortcodes&new=3408092%40cssigniter-shortcodes&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/288419ad-fbb2-4a4a-8a40-89ae024e068d?source=cve
