CVE-2025-1054 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the UiCore Elements – Free Elementor widgets and templates plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting all versions up to and including 1.0.16. The vulnerability arises from improper input sanitization and insufficient output escaping in several widgets: UI Counter, UI Icon Box, UI Testimonial Slider, UI Testimonial Grid, and UI Testimonial Carousel. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting malicious scripts into pages via these widgets. Once injected, the malicious scripts execute in the browsers of any users who visit the compromised pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or distribution of malware. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which pertains to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, a common cause of XSS. Notably, exploitation requires authentication at least at the Contributor level, meaning anonymous users cannot directly exploit this vulnerability. There are no known public exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no official patches have been released yet. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments that utilize Elementor page builder, which is popular for creating dynamic web content. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of user data and can also impact availability indirectly through potential follow-on attacks such as defacement or malware injection.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on WordPress websites with Elementor and UiCore Elements plugins for public-facing or internal portals. Successful exploitation can lead to theft of sensitive user information, including session cookies and credentials, enabling attackers to impersonate users or administrators. This can result in unauthorized access to backend systems, data breaches, or defacement of websites, damaging organizational reputation and trust. Additionally, injected scripts could be used to distribute malware or ransomware, potentially disrupting business operations. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and e-commerce are particularly at risk due to the sensitive nature of their data and regulatory requirements under GDPR. The requirement for Contributor-level access means insider threats or compromised user accounts pose a realistic attack vector. The lack of a patch at present increases exposure time, and the widespread use of Elementor-based WordPress sites in Europe amplifies the potential attack surface.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting Contributor-level access to trusted users only and reviewing existing user roles and permissions to minimize risk. 2. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically targeting known XSS attack patterns related to the affected widgets to block malicious payloads at the perimeter. 3. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on all user-generated content within the affected widgets, even if a patch is not yet available, by applying custom filters or sanitization plugins compatible with WordPress. 4. Monitor website logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected script injections or anomalous user actions. 5. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce strict content submission policies. 6. Plan for rapid deployment of patches once released by the vendor and maintain an inventory of all WordPress plugins and versions in use to facilitate timely updates. 7. Consider isolating critical WordPress instances or using sandbox environments to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 8. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected web pages.