CVE-2025-14278
📋 TL;DR
The HT Slider for Elementor WordPress plugin has a stored XSS vulnerability in the 'slide_title' parameter. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can inject malicious scripts that execute when users view affected pages. This affects all WordPress sites using vulnerable plugin versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- HT Slider for Elementor 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, deface websites, redirect users to malicious sites, or install backdoors for persistent access.
Likely Case
Attackers with contributor accounts inject malicious scripts to steal user session cookies or perform phishing attacks against site visitors.
If Mitigated
With proper user role management and input validation, impact is limited to potential data exposure from compromised contributor accounts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is technically simple once an attacker has contributor-level credentials.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.7.5 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3415988%40ht-slider-for-elementor&new=3415988%40ht-slider-for-elementor
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'HT Slider for Elementor'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download version 1.7.5+ from WordPress repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate ht-slider-for-elementor
Restrict User Roles
allTemporarily remove contributor-level access for untrusted users
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads in slide_title parameter
- Apply strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > HT Slider for Elementor version. If version is 1.7.4 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get ht-slider-for-elementor --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows 1.7.5 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to slider-related endpoints with JavaScript payloads
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful contributor login
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections to suspicious domains after visiting slider pages
- Unexpected JavaScript execution in browser developer tools
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("slide_title" AND ("script" OR "javascript" OR "onload" OR "onerror"))🔗 References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/ht-slider-for-elementor/tags/1.7.4/assets/js/htslider-widgets.js#L223
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/ht-slider-for-elementor/tags/1.7.4/include/addons/htslider_scroll_navigation.php#L1397
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3415988%40ht-slider-for-elementor&new=3415988%40ht-slider-for-elementor#file1
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/af580e5a-a9da-4516-b612-b544dc73cf23?source=cve
