CVE-2025-0687 is a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Spiritual Gifts Survey (and optional S.H.A.P.E survey) WordPress plugin, affecting versions up to 0.9.10. The vulnerability arises because the plugin fails to properly sanitize and escape user-supplied input parameters before reflecting them back in the webpage output. This improper handling allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of the victim's browser. The vulnerability specifically targets unauthenticated users, meaning that attackers can exploit it without needing to log in or have any privileges on the WordPress site. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1 (medium severity), with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), user interaction required (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and impacts on confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L) but no impact on availability (A:N). The reflected XSS can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or redirect users to malicious websites. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a tangible risk to sites using this plugin. The plugin is used within WordPress environments, which are widely deployed for content management, including by organizations with public-facing websites. The lack of a patch link indicates that a fix may not yet be available, emphasizing the need for mitigation steps. CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation) and CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) tags suggest that the vulnerability may also be related to insufficient request validation, increasing the risk of exploitation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, such as session tokens or personal data, through the execution of malicious scripts in users' browsers. This can result in account hijacking, phishing attacks, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users. Public-facing websites using the affected plugin may suffer reputational damage and potential regulatory consequences under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The reflected XSS affects unauthenticated users, which broadens the attack surface, especially for organizations with high visitor traffic. Additionally, the scope change in the CVSS vector indicates that the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, potentially impacting other parts of the web application or user sessions. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect availability, the indirect consequences of exploitation, such as defacement or redirection, can disrupt user trust and service continuity. European organizations relying on WordPress plugins for surveys or community engagement should be particularly cautious, as attackers may exploit this vulnerability to target users or gather intelligence for further attacks.

1. Immediate mitigation should include disabling or removing the Spiritual Gifts Survey (and optional S.H.A.P.E survey) plugin until a security patch is released. 2. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that detect and block reflected XSS attack patterns targeting the plugin's parameters. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers, mitigating the impact of injected code. 4. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data within the web application, especially for parameters handled by the plugin. 5. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Educate web administrators and developers about the risks of reflected XSS and the importance of secure coding practices. 7. Once available, promptly apply official patches or updates from the plugin vendor. 8. Consider isolating or sandboxing the plugin's functionality to limit the scope of potential attacks. 9. For organizations with high-risk profiles, perform penetration testing focusing on XSS vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins to identify and remediate similar issues proactively.