CVE-2023-25052 in Yandex.News Feed Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/08/2023
Auth. (admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Teplitsa Yandex.News Feed by Teplitsa plugin <= 1.12.5 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2026
This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the Teplitsa Yandex.News Feed plugin for WordPress, affecting versions 1.12.5 and earlier. The flaw allows authenticated administrators or users with administrative privileges to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's configuration interfaces where news feed data is processed and displayed. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the plugin's handling of user-supplied data in administrative contexts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when administrators configure the plugin settings or manage news feed sources through the WordPress admin dashboard. When malicious scripts are submitted through these interfaces, they are stored within the plugin's database structures and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are rendered to other users. This creates a persistent threat vector where attackers can establish backdoors or perform session hijacking operations against unsuspecting visitors who access pages displaying the compromised feed data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate the plugin's functionality and potentially escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Attackers can leverage this stored XSS to inject malicious code that targets other administrators or regular users, creating a persistent threat that remains active until the vulnerable plugin is updated or removed. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the WordPress administrative interface and can compromise the entire site if attackers gain access to administrative sessions.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in web applications that allow attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique under T1059.001 where adversaries use command and control channels to execute malicious code, though the specific vector here involves persistent script injection rather than remote command execution. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the plugin, implementing proper input sanitization measures, and conducting thorough security audits of all installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires administrative privileges which limits its scope compared to unauthenticated XSS flaws but still represents a significant risk to WordPress sites where attackers have gained access to administrative accounts. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where credential compromise occurs through other attack vectors such as weak password policies, phishing attacks, or exploitation of other vulnerabilities within the WordPress ecosystem. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual plugin configuration changes and script injection attempts that could indicate exploitation of this stored XSS flaw.