CVE-2025-13054 identifies a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the 'User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor' WordPress plugin developed by cozmoslabs. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 3.14.8 due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes within the plugin's wppb-embed shortcode. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level or higher privileges can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages generated by the plugin. When other users access these pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially compromising session tokens, cookies, or enabling further attacks such as privilege escalation or defacement. The vulnerability requires network access and authenticated user privileges but no user interaction beyond viewing the infected page. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, indicating medium severity, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. This means the attack is remotely exploitable with low complexity, requires privileges, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality and integrity with a scope change. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments for user registration and profile management, making this a significant risk for websites relying on it for user management features.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of user data on affected WordPress sites. Exploitation can lead to session hijacking, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, and potential defacement or misinformation dissemination. Organizations that allow contributor-level access to users on their WordPress sites are particularly vulnerable, as attackers need such privileges to exploit the flaw. The impact is heightened for sites handling sensitive user information or providing critical services, as compromised accounts could lead to data breaches or reputational damage. Since the vulnerability affects the plugin’s shortcode rendering, any page embedding user profiles or registration forms can be a vector. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often develop exploits after public disclosure. European organizations relying on this plugin should consider the risk of lateral movement within their web infrastructure and the potential for attackers to escalate privileges or harvest credentials via malicious scripts.

1. Monitor the plugin vendor’s announcements closely and apply official patches immediately upon release to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Until patches are available, restrict contributor-level and higher privileges to trusted users only, minimizing the attack surface. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious script injections targeting the wppb-embed shortcode parameters. 4. Conduct regular code reviews and security audits of custom shortcodes or user input handling in WordPress plugins to identify similar issues. 5. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected pages. 6. Educate site administrators and users about the risks of XSS and the importance of cautious privilege assignment. 7. Consider temporarily disabling or removing the plugin if the risk is unacceptable and no patch is available. 8. Use security plugins that can scan for malicious content or injected scripts in WordPress pages and posts. 9. Harden WordPress installations by limiting plugin usage to trusted and actively maintained components.