CVE-2025-28919 in Easy Image Display Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/12/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Shellbot Easy Image Display allows Stored XSS. This issue affects Easy Image Display: from n/a through 1.2.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-28919 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Shellbot Easy Image Display plugin, specifically targeting versions through 1.2.5. This weakness falls under the category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating a persistent security risk that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input that is subsequently rendered in HTML output without proper encoding or validation measures.
This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability occurs when user input is accepted and stored within the application's database or storage mechanisms without sufficient validation or sanitization. When the malicious content is later retrieved and displayed in web pages, the embedded scripts execute within the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising their sessions and enabling unauthorized actions. The flaw exists in the plugin's handling of image display functionality where user-provided data such as image titles, descriptions, or metadata fields are not properly escaped or validated before being rendered in HTML contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, manipulate website content, or redirect users to malicious sites. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that persist in the application's database, ensuring that every subsequent page view containing the compromised data will execute the injected scripts. This persistent nature makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for social engineering through malicious content. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects a widely used plugin, potentially exposing numerous websites to coordinated attacks. Security practitioners should consider implementing comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy mechanisms as primary defenses. Additionally, regular security updates and thorough penetration testing of web applications can help identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in the wild.
The remediation approach should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions, implementation of strict input validation and sanitization routines, and adoption of proper output encoding practices for all dynamic content. Organizations should also establish robust security monitoring systems to detect anomalous user behavior or unauthorized content modifications that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices, particularly in web applications where user input is frequently processed and displayed, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security awareness training and automated security testing in development lifecycle processes.