CVE-2025-22514 in KNR Author List Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/13/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Yamna Tatheer KNR Author List Widget allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects KNR Author List Widget: from n/a through 3.1.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-22514 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Yamna Tatheer KNR Author List Widget plugin, specifically targeting versions ranging from an unspecified beginning through 3.1.1. This vulnerability falls under the well-established category of reflected cross-site scripting as defined by CWE-79, which occurs when user input is immediately returned to a web page without proper sanitization or encoding. The issue manifests during the web page generation process where the plugin fails to adequately neutralize input data that is subsequently reflected back to users, creating an exploitable vector for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly handle and sanitize user-supplied parameters that are directly incorporated into HTML output without appropriate encoding mechanisms. When a user visits a page that utilizes the KNR Author List Widget and provides malicious input through parameters such as GET or POST variables, the plugin processes this input without sufficient validation or sanitization before rendering it within the web page context. This allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities.
From an operational perspective, this reflected XSS vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress installations that utilize the affected plugin. The attack requires minimal user interaction as the malicious payload is typically delivered through crafted URLs that, when clicked by a victim, trigger the execution of malicious code. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the plugin, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access. The reflected nature means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather injected into the response by the web application, making it more difficult to detect through traditional security scanning methods.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can potentially enable attackers to perform session manipulation, redirect users to malicious websites, or extract sensitive information from authenticated sessions. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection and T1566 for social engineering techniques. The affected versions indicate that this flaw has existed for some time, suggesting that many installations may be exposed without proper patching. Security professionals should prioritize this vulnerability as it represents a direct pathway for attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to WordPress administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the KNR Author List Widget plugin to version 3.1.2 or later, which should contain the necessary fixes to properly sanitize input parameters before rendering them in HTML output. Organizations should also implement input validation mechanisms at the web application level, including proper HTML encoding of user-supplied data, and consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. Additionally, regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins and themes. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date WordPress plugins and implementing proper security controls to prevent reflected XSS attacks, which remain one of the most prevalent web application security threats in the current threat landscape.