CVE-2025-2804 in Composer Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/28/2025
The tagDiv Composer plugin for WordPress, used by the Newspaper theme, is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via the 'account_id' and 'account_username' parameters in all versions up to, and including, 5.3 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick a user into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2025
The tagDiv Composer plugin represents a critical vulnerability within the WordPress ecosystem through CVE-2025-2804, affecting versions up to and including 5.3 of the Newspaper theme's implementation. This vulnerability manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting flaw that specifically targets the 'account_id' and 'account_username' parameters, creating a significant security exposure for websites utilizing this plugin. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization mechanisms and insufficient output escaping procedures that fail to properly validate or encode user-supplied data before processing or rendering within web pages. The vulnerability impacts all versions of the plugin up to the specified release, indicating a prolonged exposure window that could have allowed malicious actors to exploit this weakness for extended periods.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as reflected XSS where malicious scripts are reflected off a web server back to a user's browser. This attack vector requires minimal privileges from the attacker since no authentication is necessary to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users regularly interact with web content. The reflected nature means that the malicious payload is embedded in a URL or HTTP request that gets executed when the victim clicks on a malicious link, effectively bypassing traditional security measures that might protect against stored XSS scenarios. The vulnerability affects the plugin's handling of user input parameters, where the 'account_id' and 'account_username' values are not adequately sanitized before being processed or displayed in the web interface, creating an entry point for malicious code injection.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that any user who visits a page containing the maliciously crafted URL could become a victim without any special privileges or knowledge required from the attacker. This vulnerability particularly affects WordPress sites using the Newspaper theme since the tagDiv Composer plugin is integral to the theme's functionality and user management features. The reflected XSS vulnerability could allow attackers to execute scripts in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising user accounts, stealing cookies, or redirecting users to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The attack chain requires social engineering to succeed, as users must be tricked into clicking on malicious links, but once executed, the consequences can be severe for both individual users and the website administrators.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-2804 must prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring of web server logs for suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual requests containing script tags or other malicious payloads. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting script execution and preventing unauthorized code injection, though this should complement rather than replace proper input validation. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all WordPress installations using the Newspaper theme to identify potential exposure points and ensure that all related plugins and themes are updated to their latest secure versions. Network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for known malicious patterns associated with reflected XSS attacks, and user education programs should be implemented to reduce the success rate of social engineering components that enable exploitation. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices within the WordPress ecosystem and implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of application processing, as recommended by the ATT&CK framework's approach to defending against web-based attacks.