CVE-2025-23549 in Maniac SEO Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/03/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in NotFound Maniac SEO allows Reflected XSS. This issue affects Maniac SEO: from n/a through 2.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2025
This vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that exploits improper input sanitization during web page generation processes. The issue resides within the NotFound Maniac SEO plugin where user-supplied input fails to undergo adequate neutralization before being rendered in web pages, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be injected and executed. The vulnerability specifically manifests as a reflected XSS attack vector, meaning that malicious payloads are reflected off the web server back to the user's browser, typically through URL parameters or other input fields that are not properly escaped or validated. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary weakness in web application security. The affected version range indicates that all versions from the initial release through version 2.0 remain susceptible to this attack, suggesting a persistent flaw in the input handling mechanisms that was not adequately addressed in the software updates.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious websites. When users interact with the vulnerable plugin, particularly through administrative interfaces or pages that process external input, the reflected payload can execute in the victim's browser context, potentially compromising the entire user session. The attack typically requires the victim to be tricked into clicking a malicious link that contains the XSS payload, making this a client-side vulnerability that leverages social engineering tactics to achieve its objectives. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks that can lead to code execution through web-based vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The primary defense involves ensuring that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized and encoded before being rendered in any web page context, with special attention to HTML, JavaScript, and URL encoding requirements. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection layers against script execution, while proper input validation should include whitelisting of acceptable characters and lengths to prevent malicious payloads from being processed. The plugin developers should also consider implementing proper HTTP headers such as X-Content-Type-Options and X-Frame-Options to further protect against various attack vectors. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application, as reflected XSS vulnerabilities often indicate broader input handling weaknesses that may affect other parts of the software ecosystem.