CVE-2025-5686 in Paged Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2025
The Paged Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'gallery' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 0.7 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 vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-5686 affects the Paged Gallery plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 0.7. This represents a critical security flaw that enables stored cross-site scripting attacks through the plugin's gallery shortcode functionality. The vulnerability exists due to inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them within the plugin's shortcode implementation.
The technical flaw manifests when authenticated attackers with contributor-level privileges or higher exploit the insufficient validation controls within the plugin's codebase. These attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code through the gallery shortcode attributes, which are then stored within the WordPress database. When other users subsequently access pages containing the compromised gallery shortcode, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, creating a persistent cross-site scripting vector that can affect any user who views the affected content.
This vulnerability operates under the CWE-79 classification as a Stored Cross-Site Scripting weakness, where malicious scripts are permanently stored on the server and executed when users access the affected pages. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Spearphishing Attachment, though in this case the attack is executed through the legitimate plugin interface rather than external attachments. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it allows for session hijacking, credential theft, and potential lateral movement within the compromised WordPress environment.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are significant for WordPress administrators and content creators who rely on the Paged Gallery plugin. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent presence within the affected WordPress installations, potentially gaining access to user sessions, modifying content, or redirecting users to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects not just the immediate plugin functionality but also compromises the broader security posture of the WordPress site, as authenticated attackers can manipulate content in ways that may go unnoticed for extended periods.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the input sanitization and output escaping deficiencies. Administrators should implement strict role-based access controls, limiting contributor-level permissions to trusted users only, and regularly audit user accounts for unauthorized access. Additional defensive measures include implementing content security policies, monitoring for unusual shortcode usage patterns, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and output escaping practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and other industry security standards, emphasizing that all user-supplied data must be rigorously validated before processing and properly escaped before output to prevent XSS attacks.