CVE-2025-9876 in Ird Slider Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/03/2025
The Ird Slider plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'irdslider' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.2 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 • 08/04/2026
The Ird Slider plugin for WordPress presents a critical stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that affects all versions up to and including 10.2. This security flaw resides within the plugin's 'irdslider' shortcode implementation where inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms fail to properly validate user-supplied attributes. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's handling of shortcode parameters, creating an attack vector that allows malicious actors to inject persistent JavaScript code into WordPress pages.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper validation controls for incoming data through the shortcode interface. When authenticated users with contributor-level access or higher submit content containing malicious scripts within the irdslider shortcode attributes, the plugin stores this unvalidated input without adequate sanitization measures. The absence of proper output escaping means that when these stored scripts are subsequently rendered on pages, they execute in the context of other users' browsers who visit those pages.
This vulnerability creates significant operational impact as it allows attackers to escalate their privileges through persistent script injection attacks. Once an authenticated user with contributor access or higher injects malicious code, any user who accesses a page containing the injected content becomes vulnerable to various attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. The stored nature of this XSS means that the malicious scripts persist in the database until manually removed, providing attackers with sustained access to victim users' browsers.
The security implications extend beyond simple script execution as this vulnerability can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks such as cookie theft through document.cookie manipulation, keylogging capabilities, and browser fingerprinting. Attackers can also use the injected scripts to redirect users to phishing pages or deploy additional malware through browser-based attack vectors. The vulnerability affects not just individual user sessions but potentially entire WordPress installations if multiple contributors have access.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of the plugin where available, implementing strict input validation at the shortcode level, and applying proper output escaping mechanisms for all user-supplied content. Security monitoring should include regular checks for unauthorized shortcode modifications, and access controls should be reviewed to limit contributor privileges where possible. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting) and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as outlined in NIST SP 800-53 security controls.
The attack surface expands when considering that contributors typically have permission to publish posts and pages, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have elevated privileges. This issue demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output escaping in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) as attackers can use the injected scripts to capture credentials or redirect victims to malicious sites. Organizations must also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security audits of third-party plugins to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising their WordPress installations.
The vulnerability highlights a fundamental weakness in plugin development practices where proper sanitization and escaping mechanisms are not consistently applied across all user input paths. This type of flaw commonly occurs when developers assume that user input will be benign or fail to consider the full range of potential attack vectors available through shortcode interfaces. Regular security assessments and code reviews specifically focused on input validation and output handling can prevent similar issues from occurring in other WordPress plugins or custom applications.