CVE-2025-10168 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the mucasoft Any News Ticker plugin for WordPress, present in all versions up to and including 3.1.1. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), specifically due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes in the plugin's 'any-ticker' shortcode. This flaw allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages or posts. Because the injected scripts are stored persistently, they execute in the context of any user who views the infected page, potentially compromising user sessions, stealing cookies, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of users. The attack vector requires network access (remote), low attack complexity, and privileges of a contributor or above, but does not require user interaction. The vulnerability affects confidentiality and integrity but not availability, with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.4. No patches or exploit code are currently publicly available, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability highlights the risks of insufficient input validation in WordPress plugins, especially those that allow user-generated content to be embedded dynamically. Organizations using this plugin should audit their WordPress sites, restrict contributor privileges, and monitor for suspicious activity until a patch is released.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of web applications using the Any News Ticker plugin. Attackers with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed under the victim's identity. This can result in data breaches, defacement, or loss of user trust. Since WordPress powers a significant portion of websites in Europe, including corporate, governmental, and media sites, the impact can be widespread if exploited. The vulnerability does not affect availability directly but can facilitate further attacks that degrade service or compromise systems. Organizations with multi-user WordPress environments where contributors or editors have publishing rights are particularly at risk. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but should not lead to complacency. The vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against European entities with valuable web assets or sensitive user bases.

1. Immediately audit WordPress installations for the presence of the mucasoft Any News Ticker plugin and verify the version in use. 2. Restrict contributor-level and higher privileges to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious script injection. 3. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or removing the Any News Ticker plugin to eliminate the attack surface. 4. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious shortcode attribute inputs that may contain script tags or malicious payloads. 5. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 6. Monitor logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 7. Educate content contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting untrusted code. 8. Once available, promptly apply vendor patches or updates addressing this vulnerability. 9. Perform regular security scans of WordPress sites to detect stored XSS and other vulnerabilities. 10. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users with elevated privileges to reduce the risk of account compromise.