CVE-2025-13497 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Recras WordPress plugin, which is widely used for booking and reservation management. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 6.4.1 and is caused by improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically through the 'recrasname' shortcode attribute. Authenticated users with Contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this vulnerability by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. Because the plugin fails to adequately sanitize and escape this input before rendering it on the front end, the malicious script is stored persistently and executed in the context of any user who visits the affected page. This can lead to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of other users. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, indicating medium severity with a network attack vector, low attack complexity, and requiring privileges but no user interaction. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially compromised component. No public exploits or patches are currently available, increasing the urgency for organizations to implement mitigations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for multi-user WordPress environments where contributors can add content, as it expands the attack surface to include lower-privileged users. The lack of output escaping and input validation highlights a common web application security weakness (CWE-79).

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to websites using the Recras plugin for WordPress, especially those with multiple contributors or user-generated content. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized script execution in users' browsers, resulting in session hijacking, theft of sensitive data, or unauthorized actions performed with the victim's privileges. This can undermine user trust, lead to data breaches, and potentially violate GDPR requirements concerning data protection and breach notification. Organizations in sectors such as hospitality, event management, or any industry relying on online booking systems are particularly at risk. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the network if administrative accounts are compromised. Although no known exploits are currently in the wild, the ease of exploitation by authenticated users and the persistent nature of stored XSS increase the likelihood of targeted attacks. The medium severity rating reflects a balance between the required privileges and the potential impact on confidentiality and integrity.

1. Immediately restrict Contributor-level user permissions to trusted individuals and review existing user roles to minimize exposure. 2. Implement strict input validation and output escaping on the 'recrasname' shortcode attribute by applying custom filters or sanitization functions if patching is not yet available. 3. Monitor WordPress sites for unusual script injections or unexpected behavior on pages using the Recras plugin. 4. Disable or remove the Recras plugin temporarily if it is not critical to operations until a patch is released. 5. Keep WordPress core and all plugins updated regularly and subscribe to vendor security advisories for timely patch deployment. 6. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 7. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on user input handling in multi-user environments. 8. Educate contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting untrusted code. 9. Use Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block XSS payloads targeting known vulnerable parameters.