CVE-2025-13307 is a vulnerability in the Ocean Modal Window WordPress plugin, identified as CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), which allows remote code execution (RCE). The plugin uses an eval statement to execute modal display logic conditions that can be configured by users with the edit_pages capability, typically Editors and Administrators. Because these conditions are user-controlled and executed on every page load, an attacker with sufficient privileges can inject and execute arbitrary PHP code remotely. This vulnerability affects all versions prior to 2.3.3 of the plugin. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.2, indicating high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). The vulnerability was published on December 19, 2025, with no known exploits in the wild at the time of reporting. The risk is primarily to WordPress sites using this plugin where Editors or Administrators can set modal display conditions, potentially allowing an insider or compromised account to escalate to full remote code execution. This flaw highlights the dangers of using eval with user-controlled input without proper sanitization or validation.

The impact on European organizations includes potential full compromise of WordPress sites running the vulnerable Ocean Modal Window plugin. Attackers with Editor or Administrator privileges can execute arbitrary code, leading to data theft, defacement, malware deployment, or pivoting to other internal systems. This threatens the confidentiality of sensitive data, integrity of website content, and availability of services. Organizations relying on WordPress for e-commerce, media, or public-facing portals could suffer reputational damage and financial losses. The vulnerability also increases the risk of supply chain attacks if compromised sites serve as distribution points for malware. Given the plugin’s usage in Europe and the common practice of delegating content editing privileges, the threat is significant. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the urgency for mitigation, as proof-of-concept exploits could emerge rapidly.

1. Immediately update the Ocean Modal Window plugin to version 2.3.3 or later once available, as this will contain the patch for the vulnerability. 2. Restrict the edit_pages capability strictly to trusted users; review and minimize the number of Editors and Administrators with this privilege. 3. Implement application-level web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious eval-like code execution patterns or unusual modal condition configurations. 4. Conduct regular audits of WordPress user roles and permissions to ensure no unauthorized privilege escalations. 5. Monitor logs for anomalous activity related to modal display logic or unexpected PHP code execution. 6. Educate site administrators about the risks of code injection and the importance of plugin updates. 7. Consider isolating WordPress instances or using containerization to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation. 8. Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) tools where feasible to detect and prevent code injection attempts in real time.