CVE-2025-46538
📋 TL;DR
This DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Inline Text Popup WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. The vulnerability affects all versions up to 1.0.0, potentially compromising any WordPress site using this plugin. Attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
💻 Affected Systems
- Inline Text Popup 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
Complete site takeover through session hijacking of administrators, data theft from all users, and malware distribution to visitors.
Likely Case
Session hijacking of logged-in users, defacement of website content, and credential theft through phishing attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and input validation, though XSS payloads may still execute in user browsers.
🎯 Exploit Status
DOM-based XSS vulnerabilities are typically easy to exploit once the attack vector is identified. No authentication is required to trigger the vulnerability.
🛠️ 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 'Inline Text Popup' and check for updates. 4. If update is available, click 'Update Now'. 5. If no update appears, deactivate and delete the plugin, then install the latest version from WordPress repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily deactivate the Inline Text Popup plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate inline-text-popup
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 nginx config: add_header Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'";
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with XSS protection rules
- Disable the Inline Text Popup plugin entirely and remove it from the system
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'Inline Text Popup' version. If version is 1.0.0 or earlier, the site is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get inline-text-popup --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 1.0.1 or later in WordPress admin panel, or confirm plugin is deactivated/removed.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST/GET requests to plugin endpoints with script tags
- Multiple failed XSS attempts in web server logs
- Unexpected JavaScript execution in user session logs
Network Indicators:
- Malicious script payloads in HTTP requests
- Unexpected redirects to external domains
- Suspicious iframe or script injections in responses
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND ("inline-text-popup" OR "wp-content/plugins/inline-text-popup") AND ("<script>" OR "javascript:" OR "onerror=" OR "onload=")