CVE-2025-8295 in Employee Directory Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/05/2025
The Employee Directory plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the ‘noaccess_msg’ parameter in all versions up to, and including, 4.5.1 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 • 08/05/2025
The CVE-2025-8295 vulnerability affects the Employee Directory plugin for WordPress, a widely used tool for managing organizational personnel information within web applications. This particular flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of user data and application functionality. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 4.5.1, making it a persistent threat to installations that have not been updated to newer releases. The issue manifests through a stored cross-site scripting vector that specifically targets the 'noaccess_msg' parameter, demonstrating how seemingly minor input fields can become significant attack vectors when proper sanitization measures are absent.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through insufficient input sanitization and inadequate output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges or higher submit malicious content through the 'noaccess_msg' parameter, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before storing it in the database. This stored malicious content then executes whenever other users access pages containing the injected script, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of improper input validation and output encoding failures, which aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting. This classification emphasizes the fundamental flaw in how the application processes user-supplied data that should never be trusted without proper validation.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-8295 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the WordPress environment. Contributors and users with higher privileges can leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that could steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on the plugin for employee directory management. This vulnerability can be exploited to conduct various attack patterns including credential theft, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration, all of which fall under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1566 - Phishing for Information and T1078 - Valid Accounts. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, making it attractive to attackers who may already have access to the system through other means.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations focusing on both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to the latest version of the Employee Directory plugin where the vulnerability has been patched through proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts, particularly those targeting known vulnerable parameters. Network segmentation and privilege management should be reviewed to ensure that users with Contributor-level access cannot perform actions that could compromise system integrity. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and input validation testing, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 2021's A03:2021 - Injection, which specifically addresses the dangers of inadequate input validation in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against script execution, and establish regular monitoring procedures to detect any unauthorized modifications to plugin parameters.