CVE-2025-12965 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, found in the Magical Posts Display plugin for WordPress, specifically in the Elementor Advanced Posts widgets. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping of the 'mpac_title_tag' parameter within the Magical Posts Accordion widget. This parameter accepts user-supplied HTML tag names without proper neutralization, enabling an authenticated attacker with Author-level or higher privileges to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. When other users access these pages, the injected scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or unauthorized actions within the WordPress site. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.2.54. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting a medium severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and impacting confidentiality and integrity with a scope change. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The attack requires authenticated access, limiting exposure to users with at least Author-level permissions, but the impact can be significant in multi-author environments or sites with many contributors. The vulnerability's exploitation could facilitate further attacks, including privilege escalation or persistent backdoors.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to WordPress sites using the Magical Posts Display plugin with Elementor Advanced Posts widgets. The impact includes potential compromise of user sessions, unauthorized content manipulation, and possible lateral movement within the CMS environment. Organizations with multiple content authors or contributors are at higher risk since the exploit requires Author-level access. Confidentiality and integrity of site content and user data could be compromised, potentially damaging organizational reputation and user trust. Although availability is not directly affected, the injected scripts could be used to redirect users or perform phishing attacks. Given the widespread use of WordPress across Europe, especially in sectors like media, education, and e-commerce, exploitation could lead to data breaches or defacement. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often target CMS vulnerabilities. Compliance with GDPR may also be impacted if personal data is exposed or manipulated via this vulnerability.

To mitigate CVE-2025-12965, European organizations should first verify if they use the affected versions of the Magical Posts Display plugin and update to a patched version once available. In the absence of a patch, restrict Author-level permissions strictly to trusted users and review user roles to minimize privilege exposure. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious payloads targeting the 'mpac_title_tag' parameter. Employ input validation and output encoding at the application level to neutralize malicious scripts. Regularly audit and monitor WordPress logs for unusual activity or script injections. Educate content authors about the risks of injecting untrusted HTML or scripts. Additionally, consider isolating WordPress environments and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised accounts. Backup website data frequently to enable quick recovery in case of compromise. Finally, maintain an incident response plan tailored to CMS-related attacks.