CVE-2025-30808
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages generated by the About Author WordPress plugin. When users visit a specially crafted URL, the script executes in their browser, potentially stealing session cookies or performing actions on their behalf. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of the About Author plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress About Author 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 session cookies, take over WordPress sites, deface websites, or redirect visitors to malicious sites.
Likely Case
Attackers steal user session cookies to hijack accounts, perform phishing attacks, or inject malicious content into vulnerable pages.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts are neutralized before reaching users' browsers.
🎯 Exploit Status
Reflected XSS vulnerabilities are commonly exploited via phishing emails or malicious links.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.6.3 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'About Author' and click 'Update Now'. 4. Verify plugin version is 1.6.3 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable About Author plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate about-author
Implement WAF rules
allAdd web application firewall rules to block XSS payloads
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution
- Use browser security extensions that block reflected XSS attacks
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > About Author version. If version is 1.6.2 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get about-author --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.6.3 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GET/POST requests with script tags or JavaScript in URL parameters
- Multiple failed XSS attempts in web server logs
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing <script> tags or JavaScript in query strings
- Traffic patterns showing users clicking suspicious links
SIEM Query:
source="web_server_logs" AND ("<script>" OR "javascript:" OR "onerror=" OR "onload=") AND uri="*about-author*"