CVE-2025-30860 in Off-Canvas Sidebars & Menus Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Jory Hogeveen Off-Canvas Sidebars & Menus (Slidebars) allows DOM-Based XSS. This issue affects Off-Canvas Sidebars & Menus (Slidebars): from n/a through 0.5.8.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that specifically targets the Off-Canvas Sidebars & Menus plugin for WordPress, commonly known as Slidebars. The issue manifests as a DOM-based XSS vulnerability that occurs during the web page generation process when user input is improperly handled and subsequently rendered in the browser. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin from the initial release through version 0.5.8.2, indicating a long-standing security gap that has remained unaddressed. The improper neutralization of input during web page generation creates an environment where malicious scripts can be injected and executed within the context of a user's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or account compromise.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through DOM-based cross-site scripting mechanisms where malicious input is processed and then directly inserted into the Document Object Model without proper sanitization or encoding. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The issue is particularly concerning because it operates at the DOM level rather than traditional server-side input validation, making it more difficult to detect and prevent through conventional security measures. Attackers can craft malicious URLs or input parameters that, when processed by the vulnerable plugin, result in script execution within the victim's browser context, potentially allowing for session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged for sophisticated attacks targeting WordPress administrators and users. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of any user who visits a page containing the vulnerable plugin, potentially leading to complete compromise of user sessions and administrative privileges. The DOM-based nature of the attack means that the malicious payload doesn't need to be stored on the server, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers can craft malicious web pages that exploit this XSS vulnerability to deliver payloads that compromise user browsers. The impact is particularly severe for WordPress sites that rely on this plugin for navigation and sidebar functionality, as these components are often integral to site operations and user interactions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching to version 0.5.8.3 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to neutralize the input processing flaws. Administrators should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures, ensuring that all user-provided data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. Additional protective measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, monitoring for suspicious URL parameters, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing robust security practices that include both server-side and client-side input validation. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns that could exploit similar vulnerabilities in other components of their web applications.