CVE-2025-14735 in Amazon Affiliate Lite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/20/2025
The "Amazon affiliate lite Plugin" plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via admin settings in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level permissions and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. This only affects multi-site installations and installations where unfiltered_html has been disabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-14735 affects the Amazon affiliate lite Plugin for WordPress, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that poses significant risks to WordPress installations. This flaw exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.0, making it a persistent threat across multiple plugin releases. The vulnerability specifically targets the admin settings functionality of the plugin, creating a vector through which authenticated attackers can execute malicious code within the WordPress environment. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and insufficient output escaping mechanisms, which are fundamental security practices that should prevent malicious script injection. This vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003 related to abuse of credentials and privilege escalation through web application vulnerabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with administrator-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary web scripts directly into the plugin's admin settings. When these malicious scripts are saved and subsequently accessed by other users, they execute in the context of the victim's browser, potentially enabling session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it only requires administrative privileges to exploit, meaning that attackers who have already gained access to an administrator account can leverage this weakness to extend their compromise. The restriction to multi-site installations and environments where unfiltered_html has been disabled creates a specific attack surface that security teams must monitor, as these configurations are common in enterprise WordPress deployments where multiple sites share a single installation. This targeted approach means that the vulnerability affects WordPress installations with specific configuration parameters rather than all WordPress sites universally.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform privilege escalation, steal administrative credentials, or manipulate the plugin's functionality to redirect users to malicious sites. In multi-site environments, the attack surface expands significantly since a single compromised administrator can affect multiple sites within the network. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that may not have robust monitoring in place for administrative activities. The fact that this affects only installations with disabled unfiltered_html settings suggests that organizations with proper WordPress security configurations may be protected, but this protection is conditional and relies on administrators maintaining secure default settings. This creates a scenario where organizations must balance usability with security, as disabling unfiltered_html is a recommended security practice that inadvertently protects against this specific vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping issues, though since this affects versions up to 1.0.0, organizations should consider migrating to alternative plugins with better security track records. Administrators should implement strict monitoring of administrative activities and user sessions, particularly around plugin configuration changes. The vulnerability's requirement for administrator-level access means that organizations should enforce strong access controls, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits of administrative accounts. Network-level monitoring should be implemented to detect potential malicious script injection attempts, and organizations should consider implementing content security policies to prevent script execution from unauthorized sources. Additionally, regular security assessments should verify that WordPress installations maintain proper security configurations, including appropriate settings for unfiltered_html, as this vulnerability's exploitation is directly tied to specific configuration parameters. The ATT&CK framework suggests that organizations should implement defensive measures against credential abuse and privilege escalation techniques, which aligns with the need to secure administrative access and monitor for unusual administrative activities that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.