CVE-2025-47623 in Easy PayPal Buy Now Button Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Scott Paterson Easy PayPal Buy Now Button allows Stored XSS. This issue affects Easy PayPal Buy Now Button: from n/a through 2.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Scott Paterson Easy PayPal Buy Now Button plugin, specifically categorized as a stored XSS vulnerability under CWE-79. The issue arises from inadequate input sanitization during web page generation processes, where user-controllable data is directly embedded into HTML output without proper escaping or validation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that get stored within the plugin's data handling mechanisms, subsequently executed when other users view affected pages. The vulnerability affects all versions from the initial release through version 2.0, indicating a long-standing security gap in the plugin's input processing pipeline.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the plugin's failure to properly neutralize user input before rendering it in web pages, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be permanently stored and subsequently executed. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it persists in the system and affects all users who access the affected content. The vulnerability stems from improper output encoding practices and inadequate validation of input parameters that are processed and stored within the plugin's database or configuration files. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190, this represents a web application vulnerability that allows for persistent code execution through user interaction with compromised content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of affected websites. This could enable session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web pages, redirection to malicious sites, or more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation within the compromised system. The stored nature of the XSS means that the attack vector can be maintained over extended periods, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access or conduct extended surveillance operations. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of broader attack chains, particularly when combined with other weaknesses in the web application stack.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding measures to prevent malicious scripts from being stored or executed. The plugin developers should implement proper HTML escaping for all user-controllable inputs before storage and rendering, ensuring that special characters are appropriately encoded. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and input validation at multiple layers can provide defense-in-depth measures. Organizations should update to the latest available version of the plugin as soon as patches are released, and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns. Regular security audits of third-party plugins and maintaining up-to-date vulnerability assessments should be standard practice to prevent similar issues from arising in other components of the web application infrastructure.