CVE-2025-13841
📋 TL;DR
The Smart App Banners WordPress plugin has a stored XSS vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers with Contributor access or higher to inject malicious scripts into website pages. When users visit compromised pages, these scripts execute in their browsers, potentially stealing credentials or performing unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites using this plugin up to version 1.2 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Smart App Banners 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 administrator credentials, take over the WordPress site, install backdoors, deface the website, or redirect visitors to malicious sites.
Likely Case
Attackers with contributor access inject malicious scripts to steal session cookies, perform actions as other users, or display phishing content to visitors.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output escaping, the vulnerability would be prevented, and only properly formatted banner parameters would be accepted.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is technically simple once access is obtained. The vulnerability is well-documented in security advisories.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/smart-app-banners/trunk/index.php
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find Smart App Banners and click 'Update Now'. 4. If no update is available, deactivate and delete the plugin, then install the latest version from WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove Contributor Access
allTemporarily remove Contributor role access until patching is complete
Disable Plugin
linuxDeactivate the Smart App Banners plugin to prevent exploitation
wp plugin deactivate smart-app-banners
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution
- Use web application firewall rules to block suspicious parameter values in shortcodes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for Smart App Banners version 1.2 or earlierCheck Version:
wp plugin get smart-app-banners --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.3 or later in WordPress admin panel📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to WordPress admin with 'size' or 'verticalalign' parameters containing script tags
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful contributor login
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with JavaScript payloads in 'size' or 'verticalalign' parameters
- Unexpected outbound connections from WordPress site after page visits
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("size=<script" OR "verticalalign=<script" OR "app-store-download")