CVE-2025-13456 in ShopBuilder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2026
The ShopBuilder WordPress plugin before 3.2.2 does not sanitise and escape a parameter before outputting it back in the page, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting which could be used against high privilege users such as admin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-13456 affects the ShopBuilder WordPress plugin version 3.2.1 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables reflected cross-site scripting attacks. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the plugin's codebase, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary script code into web pages viewed by users. The vulnerability specifically occurs when the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape a parameter before incorporating it back into the HTML output, which constitutes a fundamental breakdown in web application security practices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's handling of user-supplied input through HTTP parameters that are subsequently reflected back to users without proper sanitization measures. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the vulnerable parameter, and this parameter is echoed back in the page content without appropriate escaping, the browser executes the injected script. This reflected XSS vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited against high-privilege users such as administrators, potentially allowing attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive credentials, or perform unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary cause of cross-site scripting flaws.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged for sophisticated attacks targeting privileged users within the WordPress environment. Attackers can craft malicious links that, when clicked by administrators, would execute malicious scripts in their browser context, potentially leading to complete compromise of the affected WordPress installation. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the attack payload is delivered via a crafted URL that must be clicked by the victim, making it particularly effective in phishing campaigns or social engineering attacks. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics used to gain initial access to systems through deceptive means.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-13456 primarily focus on immediate plugin updates to version 3.2.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the sanitization and escaping issues. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including input validation at multiple layers, proper output escaping for all dynamic content, and regular security auditing of WordPress plugins. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, though they should not replace proper code-level fixes. The vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices including the principle of least privilege, input validation, and proper output encoding as recommended by industry standards and security frameworks.