CVE-2025-31749
📋 TL;DR
This stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the HMH Footer Builder For Elementor WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages. When users view affected pages, the scripts execute in their browsers, potentially stealing credentials or performing unauthorized actions. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- HMH Footer Builder 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 administrator session cookies, take over WordPress sites, deface websites, or redirect visitors to malicious sites.
Likely Case
Attackers inject malicious JavaScript to steal user session cookies or credentials, potentially gaining administrative access to affected WordPress sites.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts would be neutralized before reaching users' browsers.
🎯 Exploit Status
Stored XSS vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins are commonly exploited. Attackers need contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.0.1 or later
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel
2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins
3. Find 'HMH Footer Builder For Elementor'
4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available
5. If no update appears, manually download version 1.0.1+ from WordPress.org
6. Deactivate and delete old version
7. Upload and activate new version
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate hmh-footer-builder-for-elementor
Implement Content Security Policy
allAdd CSP headers to restrict script execution sources
Add to .htaccess: Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'"
Add to wp-config.php: header("Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'");
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the HMH Footer Builder For Elementor plugin completely
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins. If HMH Footer Builder For Elementor version is 1.0 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get hmh-footer-builder-for-elementor --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify plugin version shows 1.0.1 or higher in WordPress plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to plugin admin endpoints
- Suspicious JavaScript in footer content
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful login
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections to suspicious domains from your WordPress site
- Unexpected script tags in HTTP responses
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("hmh-footer" OR "footer-builder") AND (POST OR PUT) AND (script OR javascript OR onload OR onerror)