CVE-2025-5237 in Target Video Easy Publish Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/18/2025
The Target Video Easy Publish plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘width’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.8.5 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. 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 • 06/18/2025
The CVE-2025-5237 vulnerability affects the Target Video Easy Publish plugin for WordPress, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security of WordPress installations. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 3.8.5, making it a widespread concern for WordPress users who have installed this particular plugin. The flaw specifically targets the 'width' parameter within the plugin's functionality, demonstrating how seemingly innocuous input fields can become vectors for sophisticated attacks when proper sanitization measures are absent.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher submit content containing malicious scripts through the 'width' parameter, these scripts are stored within the WordPress database and subsequently executed whenever any user accesses pages containing the injected content. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload persists even after the initial submission, creating a continuous threat vector that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is used to generate web pages without proper validation or escaping, allowing attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for WordPress administrators and content creators who rely on the Target Video Easy Publish plugin. Attackers with Contributor-level privileges can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary web scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability's accessibility means that even relatively low-privileged users within a WordPress environment can cause substantial damage, as their actions can affect all users who view the compromised pages. This creates a risk scenario where internal threats or compromised accounts can escalate into broader security incidents, particularly in environments where multiple contributors have access to the system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-5237 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the stored XSS vulnerability, as this represents the most direct solution to the identified flaw. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting Contributor-level privileges to minimize potential attack surface, implementing content security policies to limit script execution, and monitoring user activities for suspicious submissions. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would align with techniques involving privilege escalation and persistent threats, where attackers establish footholds through accessible user accounts and maintain access through stored malicious content. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and maintaining updated security practices should become standard procedures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future, particularly emphasizing the importance of input validation and output escaping in all web application development processes.