CVE-2025-49953
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages generated by the ShareBang WordPress plugin. When users visit pages containing these scripts, attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users, or perform actions on their behalf. All WordPress sites using ShareBang plugin versions 1.4 or earlier are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- ShareBang, Ultimate Social Share Buttons for WordPress
⚠️ 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 the WordPress site, install backdoors, deface the site, or steal sensitive user data.
Likely Case
Attackers steal user session cookies to hijack accounts, redirect users to malicious sites, or display phishing content to visitors.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts are neutralized before reaching users, preventing any exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Reflected XSS typically requires user interaction (clicking a malicious link) but is straightforward to exploit once the vulnerable parameter is identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: >1.4
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'ShareBang, Ultimate Social Share Buttons for WordPress'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update available. 5. If no update available, deactivate and delete the plugin immediately.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ShareBang Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched version is available
wp plugin deactivate sharebang
Implement WAF Rules
allAdd web application firewall rules to block XSS payloads targeting ShareBang parameters
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the ShareBang plugin completely from your WordPress installation
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for ShareBang version. If version is 1.4 or lower, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get sharebang --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify plugin version shows >1.4 in WordPress admin panel. Test the social sharing functionality to ensure it works without errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GET/POST requests containing script tags or JavaScript payloads
- Multiple failed requests to ShareBang plugin endpoints
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with suspicious parameters containing <script>, javascript:, or encoded payloads
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="*sharebang*" OR user_agent="*sharebang*") AND (content="*<script>*" OR content="*javascript:*" OR content="*onerror=*" OR content="*onload=*")