CVE-2025-28975
📋 TL;DR
This reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Alike WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. Attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. WordPress sites using Alike plugin versions up to 3.0.1 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Alike - WordPress Custom Post Comparison
⚠️ 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 steal administrator session cookies, gain full control of WordPress site, install backdoors, deface website, or steal sensitive user data.
Likely Case
Attackers steal user session cookies, redirect visitors to phishing sites, or perform limited actions as authenticated users.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts are neutralized before reaching users.
🎯 Exploit Status
Reflected XSS vulnerabilities are commonly exploited with simple payloads requiring only user interaction with malicious links.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.0.2 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Alike - WordPress Custom Post Comparison'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update available. 5. Alternatively, download latest version from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Temporary Plugin Deactivation
allDisable the vulnerable plugin until patched version is available
wp plugin deactivate alike
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
allConfigure WAF to block XSS payload patterns in URL parameters
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution
- Use WordPress security plugins with XSS protection features
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Alike plugin version. If version is 3.0.1 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get alike --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows 3.0.2 or later in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual URL parameters containing script tags or JavaScript code
- Multiple failed XSS attempts in web server logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with suspicious parameters containing <script>, javascript:, or encoded payloads
SIEM Query:
source="web_server_logs" AND ("<script" OR "javascript:" OR "%3Cscript" OR "%22%3E%3Cscript") AND uri_path="*alike*"