CVE-2019-25314 in Duplicate-Post Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/11/2026
Yoast Duplicate-Post WordPress Plugin 3.2.3 contains a persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability in plugin settings parameters. Attackers can inject malicious scripts into title prefix, suffix, menu order, and blacklist fields to execute arbitrary JavaScript in admin interfaces.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-25314 resides within the Yoast Duplicate-Post WordPress plugin version 3.2.3, representing a critical persistent cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security of WordPress administrative interfaces. This vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's settings parameters, creating a pathway for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that persists across user sessions and administrative interactions. The flaw manifests in four distinct input fields including title prefix, suffix, menu order, and blacklist parameters, where insufficient output escaping and input validation allow malicious payloads to be stored and subsequently executed within the context of administrator sessions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates as a classic persistent XSS attack vector where user-supplied data flows directly into the plugin's administrative interface without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The affected fields receive user input that is not adequately filtered or escaped before being rendered back to administrators, creating an environment where malicious scripts can execute with the privileges of logged-in users. The persistence aspect of this vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code into any of these parameters, the script will execute every time an administrator views the plugin settings or interacts with pages containing the affected content. This behavior aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding, specifically targeting the failure to properly escape data before rendering it in web contexts.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-25314 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. When administrators interact with the plugin settings, the injected JavaScript can manipulate the browser environment to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify plugin configurations to create backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative interface where users have elevated privileges, potentially allowing attackers to modify core WordPress functionality, create new administrator accounts, or extract sensitive data from the WordPress installation. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for scripting and T1566.002 for credential access through social engineering, as attackers can leverage the persistent nature of the XSS to maintain long-term access to compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from WordPress administrators, including updating to the patched version of the Yoast Duplicate-Post plugin or implementing temporary workarounds such as restricting administrative access to trusted users only. Security measures should include implementing content security policies that restrict script execution within the administrative interface, conducting regular security audits of plugin installations, and monitoring for unusual administrative activities. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payload injection attempts, while establishing proper input validation procedures for all user-supplied data within WordPress plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against persistent XSS attacks that can compromise entire administrative ecosystems.