CVE-2025-23802 in WP-Revive Adserver Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Steven Soehl WP-Revive Adserver allows Stored XSS.This issue affects WP-Revive Adserver: from n/a through 2.2.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2025
The CVE-2025-23802 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Steven Soehl WP-Revive Adserver plugin, specifically targeting the web page generation process where input validation and sanitization mechanisms fail to properly neutralize user-supplied data. This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability enables attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database and execute whenever affected pages are rendered to users. The vulnerability exists within the plugin's handling of user input during the generation of web pages, creating an environment where malicious code can be stored and later executed in the context of other users' browsers. The affected version range spans from an unspecified starting point through version 2.2.1, indicating that all versions within this range are potentially vulnerable to this exploitation vector.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output encoding practices within the WP-Revive Adserver plugin. When users submit content through various administrative interfaces or data entry points, the application fails to properly validate and escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts such as javascript:alert(document.cookie) or more sophisticated payloads that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that once malicious input is accepted and saved to the database, it remains persistent and will execute every time the affected page is loaded, making it particularly dangerous for long-term impact.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass significant security risks for WordPress installations using the affected plugin. Attackers can leverage this stored XSS to hijack user sessions, particularly those with administrative privileges, leading to complete compromise of the WordPress site. The vulnerability enables man-in-the-middle attacks where malicious actors can intercept sensitive data, modify content, or redirect users to phishing sites. Additionally, the persistent nature of stored XSS allows for long-term surveillance of user activities and potential data exfiltration. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments, as attackers may use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads that exploit user trust in legitimate administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-23802 should prioritize immediate patching of the WP-Revive Adserver plugin to the latest secure version that addresses the input sanitization issues. Administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data handling processes, ensuring that all user-supplied content is properly escaped before being stored or rendered. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to detect and prevent malicious script execution. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the WordPress ecosystem. The implementation of proper HTTP headers including Content-Security-Policy can significantly reduce the impact of successful XSS attempts by restricting script execution sources. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions to detect unusual patterns in user activity that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.