CVE-2025-5565 in Hide It Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2025
The Hide It plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'hideit' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.1 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. 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 • 06/06/2025
The Hide It plugin for WordPress represents a critical security vulnerability that affects versions up to and including 1.0.1 through a stored cross-site scripting flaw. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's 'hideit' shortcode implementation and stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. The flaw specifically targets user-supplied attributes that are processed through the shortcode system, creating a persistent vector for malicious code injection that can affect all users who access compromised pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of shortcode attributes that are not properly sanitized before being stored in the WordPress database. When authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher utilize the plugin's functionality, they can inject malicious JavaScript code into the shortcode parameters. This code gets stored in the database and subsequently executed whenever any user accesses pages containing the compromised shortcode, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate plugin functionality to deliver malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically focusing on cross-site scripting scenarios where user-controllable data is not properly escaped before being rendered in web pages.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for WordPress installations that utilize the Hide It plugin, as it allows attackers to escalate privileges and potentially compromise entire sites. The requirement for contributor-level access or higher means that the vulnerability is particularly concerning for sites with multiple user roles, as attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to content management features. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that the malicious code persists in the database and executes automatically for any user who accesses the affected pages, providing attackers with a persistent backdoor for continued access and potential data exfiltration.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data manipulation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to inject malicious scripts that can redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies and session information, or even modify content on the WordPress site. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall under T1548.003 for Abuse of Cloud Infrastructure and potentially T1071.001 for Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it exploits web application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of the plugin, implementing proper input validation, and conducting thorough security audits of all plugins that handle user input through shortcodes. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper security testing and code review practices for WordPress plugins, particularly those that process user-supplied data through shortcode mechanisms.