CVE-2025-5055 in Smart Forms Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/24/2025
The Smart Forms – when you need more than just a contact form plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via admin settings in all versions up to, and including, 2.6.98 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level permissions and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. This only affects multi-site installations and installations where unfiltered_html has been disabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-5055 affects the Smart Forms WordPress plugin, specifically targeting versions up to and including 2.6.98. This represents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that exploits insufficient input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's administrative settings. The flaw exists in how the plugin processes user input when administrators configure form settings, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be permanently stored and executed against unsuspecting users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data before storing it in the WordPress database. When administrators configure form settings through the administrative interface, the plugin does not adequately validate or escape potentially malicious input. This weakness allows authenticated attackers with administrator-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the plugin's configuration settings. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that once the malicious script is injected, it persists in the database and executes every time affected pages are accessed by any user, making it particularly dangerous for multi-site installations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe given that it requires only administrator-level access to exploit, which represents a significant privilege escalation risk. In multi-site WordPress installations, the implications are amplified as a single compromised administrator account can affect multiple sites within the network. The vulnerability specifically targets installations where unfiltered_html has been disabled, suggesting that the attack vector leverages the administrative interface's processing of form configuration data. This creates a dangerous scenario where legitimate administrative functionality becomes a vector for persistent malicious code execution.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1548.001 for privilege escalation through administrative access. Organizations using this plugin face potential data breaches, session hijacking, and further attack vectors as attackers can establish persistent presence within their WordPress environments. The attack requires minimal technical expertise beyond having administrative credentials, making it particularly concerning for environments where administrative access is not properly restricted or monitored. The vulnerability affects the plugin's administrative settings processing, which typically handles form configuration data including field names, validation rules, and presentation elements that could contain malicious script payloads.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping vulnerabilities. Administrators should implement strict access controls and monitoring for administrative accounts, considering multi-factor authentication as an additional protective measure. Regular security audits of plugin configurations and input validation mechanisms should be conducted, with particular attention to how administrative interfaces handle user-supplied data. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to detect and prevent script injection attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices in WordPress plugin development, particularly for administrative interfaces that process user configuration data.