CVE-2025-11767 identifies a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Tips Shortcode plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 0.2.1. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied content in the 'tip' shortcode. Authenticated users with contributor-level privileges or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages or posts. When other users access these compromised pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or unauthorized actions within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, indicating medium severity, with an attack vector of network (remote), low attack complexity, requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction, and a scope change (S:C). The impact affects confidentiality and integrity but not availability. No public exploits are currently known, but the vulnerability's presence in a widely used CMS plugin makes it a notable risk. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate mitigation steps by administrators. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which is a common web application security weakness related to cross-site scripting.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites running WordPress with the Tips Shortcode plugin installed. The ability for contributors to inject persistent malicious scripts can lead to compromised user sessions, theft of sensitive information, defacement of websites, or unauthorized administrative actions. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to data breaches, and violate data protection regulations such as GDPR. Since WordPress is widely used across Europe for corporate, governmental, and non-profit websites, the potential impact is broad. Organizations with multiple content contributors are particularly vulnerable, as the attack requires contributor-level access. The vulnerability does not affect availability directly but compromises confidentiality and integrity, which can have downstream effects on business operations and trust. Additionally, the cross-site scripting flaw could be leveraged as a stepping stone for further attacks, including phishing or malware distribution.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations for the presence of the Tips Shortcode plugin and verify the version in use. Until a patch is released, restrict contributor-level access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious script injection. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious script injections in shortcode inputs. Regularly monitor website content for unexpected or unauthorized script tags or changes. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and reduce the impact of potential XSS attacks. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content. Once a security update or patch is available from the vendor, apply it promptly. Additionally, consider disabling or removing the vulnerable plugin if it is not essential to website functionality. Maintain regular backups of website data to enable recovery in case of compromise.