CVE-2025-11186 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the 'Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA' WordPress plugin developed by humanityco. The vulnerability exists due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input in the cookies_accepted shortcode, which fails to adequately sanitize and escape input before rendering it on web pages. This flaw allows authenticated attackers with at least contributor-level privileges to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages that will execute in the context of any user who views the compromised page. The attack vector is remote network-based (AV:N), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), and privileges at the contributor level (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C) because the vulnerability can affect other users beyond the attacker. The impact affects confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L) but not availability (A:N). Since the plugin is widely used for GDPR and CCPA compliance, it is commonly installed on websites handling personal data, increasing the risk of data leakage or session hijacking. No known exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed as of November 2025. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure means organizations must implement interim controls to mitigate risk.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the widespread use of WordPress and the popularity of the affected plugin for GDPR compliance. Exploitation can lead to unauthorized disclosure of personal data, session hijacking, and potential defacement or redirection attacks, undermining user trust and violating GDPR requirements. Since the vulnerability allows script execution in the context of any user visiting the infected page, it can be leveraged to steal cookies, credentials, or perform actions on behalf of users with elevated privileges. This can result in data breaches, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. The impact is particularly critical for organizations processing sensitive personal data or operating e-commerce, healthcare, or financial websites. The medium CVSS score reflects the balance between the need for authenticated access and the potential severity of the attack consequences.

1. Immediately monitor for updates from humanityco and apply the official patch once released to address CVE-2025-11186. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict contributor-level and higher access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious input injection. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts targeting the cookies_accepted shortcode. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected pages. 5. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on any user-supplied data related to the plugin, either via custom code or security plugins that sanitize shortcode attributes. 6. Regularly audit WordPress user roles and permissions to ensure least privilege principles are enforced. 7. Educate site administrators and content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and the importance of secure coding practices. 8. Monitor logs for unusual activity or script injection patterns to detect exploitation attempts early.