Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-23688

High

Published: 03 March 2025

Published
03 March 2025
Modified
23 April 2026
KEV Added
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Patch
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CVSS Score 7.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
EPSS Score 0.0035 57.2th percentile
Risk Priority 14 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Description

An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access to web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials.

Security Summary

CVE-2025-23688 is an Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability, classified as Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) under CWE-79, affecting the Cobwebo URL Plugin (cobwebo-url) developed by editionskezzal for WordPress. The issue impacts all versions of the plugin from n/a through 1.0 inclusive. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L), indicating high severity due to its network accessibility, low complexity, lack of required privileges, user interaction requirement, and scope change.

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious URL that incorporates reflected input, tricking authenticated or unauthenticated users into clicking or visiting it via social engineering, such as phishing emails or malicious links on external sites. No special privileges are needed (PR:N), and exploitation occurs over the network (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L) but requires user interaction (UI:R). Successful exploitation executes arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser within the context of the WordPress site due to the changed scope (S:C), potentially leading to low-level impacts on confidentiality (e.g., session token theft), integrity (e.g., data tampering), and availability (e.g., denial of service).

The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/cobwebo-url/vulnerability/wordpress-cobwebo-url-plugin-plugin-1-0-reflected-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cve provides detailed vulnerability information for the Cobwebo URL Plugin <=1.0, including guidance on mitigation for WordPress administrators.

Details

CWE(s)
CWE-79

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1204.001 Malicious Link Execution
An adversary may rely upon a user clicking a malicious link in order to gain execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1566.002 Spearphishing Link Initial Access
Adversaries may send spearphishing emails with a malicious link in an attempt to gain access to victim systems.
attack.mitre.org →
T1185 Browser Session Hijacking Collection
Adversaries may take advantage of security vulnerabilities and inherent functionality in browser software to change content, modify user-behaviors, and intercept information as part of various browser session hijacking techniques.
attack.mitre.org →
T1539 Steal Web Session Cookie Credential Access
An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access to web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials.
attack.mitre.org →
Why these techniques?

Reflected XSS in public-facing WordPress plugin enables exploitation via crafted malicious URLs (T1190, T1204.001) often delivered by spearphishing (T1566.002), directly facilitating browser session hijacking (T1185) and web session cookie theft (T1539).

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

References