CVE-2025-8400 in Image Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/02/2025
The Image Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers 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 Image Gallery plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2025-8400, affecting all versions up to and including 1.0.0. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating a pathway for reflected cross-site scripting attacks that can compromise user sessions and execute malicious code. The flaw specifically resides in how the plugin handles user-supplied input parameters that are subsequently reflected back to users without proper sanitization or escaping, making it particularly dangerous in web applications where user interaction is expected. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through crafted URLs or form submissions that contain malicious script payloads, which are then reflected back to the victim's browser when they access the compromised page. According to the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification, this represents a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of a user's browser session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An unauthenticated attacker can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when accessed by a victim, will execute in their browser context without any authentication requirements. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators or regular users may inadvertently click on compromised links, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather injected through the request parameters, making detection more challenging and the attack surface broader as any user interaction with the vulnerable plugin could serve as an attack vector. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the WordPress plugin ecosystem, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to user accounts through session manipulation and credential harvesting techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-8400 must focus on immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The most effective immediate solution is to upgrade to a patched version of the Image Gallery plugin where input sanitization and output escaping have been properly implemented. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script patterns in HTTP requests, particularly those targeting known vulnerable parameters. Input validation should be strengthened at the application level by implementing strict sanitization routines that remove or escape potentially dangerous characters and script tags from user-supplied input. Additionally, output escaping should be enforced consistently throughout the plugin code to ensure that any user-generated content is properly encoded when displayed in web pages. Security monitoring should include regular vulnerability scanning of WordPress installations to identify unpatched plugins and themes that may be vulnerable to similar reflected XSS attacks. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded, preventing execution of injected malicious code even if the vulnerability is exploited. Regular security audits and penetration testing of WordPress installations should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins and themes that may not have been properly patched or updated.