CVE-2025-22697 in Responsive Blocks Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/04/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in CyberChimps Responsive Blocks allows Reflected XSS. This issue affects Responsive Blocks: from n/a through 1.9.9.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-22697 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the CyberChimps Responsive Blocks plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified starting point through 1.9.9. This flaw resides in the improper neutralization of input during web page generation processes, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be injected and executed within the context of affected user sessions. The vulnerability manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting attack, meaning that the malicious payload is reflected off the web server and delivered to the victim's browser through a crafted URL or request parameter.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the plugin's web page generation logic. When user-supplied data is processed and subsequently rendered in web pages without proper sanitization, attackers can inject malicious javascript code that executes in the victim's browser context. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses the improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of reflected cross-site scripting. The reflected nature indicates that the malicious script is embedded in a request and reflected back to the user, typically through a URL parameter, making it particularly dangerous for exploitation through phishing campaigns or social engineering.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could craft a specially designed URL that, when visited by an authenticated user, would execute malicious code in their browser, potentially leading to complete compromise of the user's session and access to sensitive data. The vulnerability affects not just individual users but can potentially impact entire WordPress installations where the plugin is deployed, particularly in environments where multiple users have varying levels of access and privilege.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-22697 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the reflected XSS vulnerability, following the vendor's security advisory and release notes for patch details. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious data from being processed and rendered in web pages. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected plugin across their infrastructure, while also implementing regular security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for phishing techniques, indicating that exploitation often involves crafting malicious payloads and social engineering elements to deliver the attack vectors to unsuspecting users.