CVE-2025-13614 in Cool Tag Cloud Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/05/2025
The Cool Tag Cloud plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'cool_tag_cloud' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 2.29 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2025
The Cool Tag Cloud plugin for WordPress presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that affects all versions up to and including 2.29. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's 'cool_tag_cloud' shortcode implementation and represents a significant security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this particular plugin. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them within the shortcode functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows authenticated attackers who possess contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's shortcode parameters. When these parameters are processed and rendered on WordPress pages, the injected scripts execute in the context of any user who accesses those pages. This stored XSS vulnerability operates by leveraging the plugin's insufficient validation of attributes passed to the cool_tag_cloud shortcode, enabling attackers to persist malicious code within the plugin's configuration or content management system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to further security breaches. Attackers with contributor privileges can manipulate the plugin's shortcode functionality to inject scripts that may steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, data exfiltration, or even privilege escalation within the WordPress environment.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') and follows the ATT&CK framework's technique T1566.001 - Phishing with Social Engineering, as it enables attackers to create malicious pages that can be used for social engineering campaigns. This weakness specifically manifests through the plugin's failure to implement proper output encoding for user-supplied attributes, creating a persistent XSS condition that can affect multiple users over time.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to the latest version that addresses this vulnerability, as well as implementing additional security measures such as input validation at the WordPress level and monitoring for unauthorized shortcode modifications. Administrators should also consider restricting contributor-level access to plugin configuration interfaces and implementing content security policies to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks. Regular security audits of installed plugins and adherence to WordPress security best practices remain essential for preventing exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the broader WordPress ecosystem.