CVE-2025-4587 in AB Testing Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2025
The A/B Testing for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'ab-testing-for-wp/ab-test-block' block in all versions up to, and including, 1.18.2 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on the 'id' parameter. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-4587 affects the A/B Testing for WordPress plugin, a widely used tool for conducting experiments on wordpress websites. This plugin enables website administrators to test different versions of web pages to optimize user engagement and conversion rates. The specific flaw resides within the plugin's 'ab-testing-for-wp/ab-test-block' block functionality, which has been identified as susceptible to stored cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability impacts all versions of the plugin up to and including version 1.18.2, representing a significant security risk for wordpress installations that utilize this particular plugin.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. The 'id' parameter in the ab-test-block functionality fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input before processing and storing it within the wordpress database. This insufficient sanitization creates an environment where malicious scripts can be persistently stored and subsequently executed whenever the affected page is accessed. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS attack because the malicious payload is not merely reflected in a response but is actually stored within the application's data storage system, making it persistent and potentially more dangerous than reflected XSS variants.
Authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability to inject arbitrary web scripts into pages that will execute whenever any user accesses the compromised pages. This privilege level requirement means that attackers who have gained access to wordpress accounts with at least contributor permissions can leverage this vulnerability to compromise other users. The operational impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft or data exfiltration. The stored nature of the attack means that the malicious code will persistently affect all users who access the compromised pages until the vulnerability is patched and the malicious content is removed from the database.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws and specifically relates to the CWE-79.101 variant that deals with stored XSS attacks. The attack pattern follows typical ATT&CK techniques categorized under T1566.001 for phishing with malicious attachments and T1566.002 for phishing with malicious links, as attackers can craft malicious pages that will execute code when users access them. Additionally, this vulnerability could enable lateral movement within a wordpress environment through credential theft or session manipulation, potentially leading to privilege escalation and further compromise of the wordpress installation. Organizations should immediately update to the latest plugin version to address this vulnerability, implement proper input validation, and consider monitoring for suspicious user activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The remediation strategy should include immediate deployment of the patched version of the A/B Testing for WordPress plugin, which should contain proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms for the 'id' parameter. Security administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider implementing content security policies to mitigate the impact of any successful XSS attacks. Regular security audits of wordpress plugins should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, and access controls should be carefully reviewed to limit user permissions to the minimum required for their roles. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in content management systems where user-generated content is processed and stored.