CVE-2025-68076 in Stockholm Core Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/16/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Select-Themes Stockholm Core stockholm-core allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Stockholm Core: from n/a through <= 2.4.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Select-Themes Stockholm Core framework that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically manifests as a stored XSS condition, meaning that malicious input is permanently stored on the server and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are rendered to users. This particular weakness resides in the web page generation process where input validation and sanitization mechanisms fail to properly neutralize potentially dangerous user-supplied data before it is incorporated into dynamic web content. The affected version range indicates that all versions up to and including 2.4.6 remain vulnerable, suggesting this flaw has persisted across multiple releases without adequate remediation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input that contains script code and submits it through the application's input mechanisms. This input is then stored within the application's database or storage system, making it persistent across multiple user sessions. When other users access pages that display this stored content, the malicious scripts execute within their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability's classification as a stored XSS attack places it within the CWE-79 category of Cross-site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been extensively documented in security literature and represents one of the most prevalent attack vectors in web applications.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations utilizing the Stockholm Core framework, as it can lead to complete compromise of user sessions and potential data breaches. Attackers can leverage this weakness to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive information, modify content, or redirect users to phishing sites that can harvest credentials. The persistence of the stored nature means that the attack can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. Security teams must consider that this vulnerability could enable advanced persistent threats where attackers maintain long-term access to compromised systems through the persistent script execution. The attack surface extends beyond simple script execution to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers can manipulate application behavior and access restricted functionality through the execution of malicious code within user browser contexts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. Organizations should immediately upgrade to the latest version of the Stockholm Core framework where this vulnerability has been patched, as version 2.4.7 or later should contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, comprehensive input sanitization should be implemented at all points where user data enters the application, particularly in areas where content is rendered on web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting script execution within the application's context. Security teams should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block known XSS attack patterns, though these should be viewed as supplementary defenses rather than primary solutions. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase, as this type of weakness often indicates broader input validation issues that may exist elsewhere in the system architecture. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current security practices and the necessity of following secure coding guidelines that specifically address preventing XSS attacks through proper input sanitization and output encoding techniques.