CVE-2025-39416
📋 TL;DR
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WordPress 'translit it!' plugin allows attackers to perform stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. When exploited, this can enable attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in users' browsers. This affects all WordPress sites using the translit it! plugin versions up to and including 1.6.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress translit it! 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 inject persistent malicious scripts that steal administrator credentials, deface websites, redirect users to malicious sites, or install backdoors for further compromise.
Likely Case
Attackers trick authenticated users into clicking malicious links, leading to script injection that could steal session cookies or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections and content security policies, the attack surface is reduced, though the vulnerability remains present in the code.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking authenticated users into clicking malicious links. The vulnerability chain (CSRF to stored XSS) is well-documented in the reference.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.7 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/translit-it/vulnerability/wordpress-translit-it-plugin-1-6-csrf-to-stored-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'translit it!' and click 'Update Now'. 4. If update not available, deactivate and delete the plugin, then install version 1.7+ from WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate translit-it
Implement CSRF tokens
allAdd CSRF protection to plugin forms if customizing
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable the translit it! plugin completely
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block XSS payloads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'translit it!' version. If version is 1.6 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get translit-it --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, verify plugin version shows 1.7 or later in WordPress plugins list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to translit-it admin endpoints
- JavaScript injection patterns in plugin-related database entries
Network Indicators:
- Requests containing translit-it parameters with script tags or encoded payloads
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" OR uri_path CONTAINS "translit") AND (http_method="POST" AND (params CONTAINS "<script>" OR params CONTAINS "javascript:"))