Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-25169

High

Published: 03 March 2025

Published
03 March 2025
Modified
23 April 2026
KEV Added
Patch
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

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.

Security Summary

CVE-2025-25169 is an Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability, classified as Reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) under CWE-79, in the Authors Autocomplete Meta Box WordPress plugin by Rachel Cherry. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin from n/a through 1.2 inclusive. Published on 2025-03-03, 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).

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network with low attack complexity and no privileges required, though it demands user interaction such as visiting a malicious link or page. Upon successful exploitation, reflected XSS enables arbitrary script execution in the context of the victim's browser on the affected site, resulting in low impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with a changed scope.

The Patchstack advisory documents this Reflected XSS vulnerability specifically in Authors Autocomplete Meta Box plugin version 1.2 for WordPress.

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.
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.
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.
Why these techniques?

Reflected XSS in public-facing WordPress plugin enables T1190 (explicitly includes XSS for initial access); arbitrary browser script execution directly facilitates T1539 (steal web session cookies) and T1185 (browser session hijacking).

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

References