CVE-2025-13862 identifies a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Menu Card plugin for WordPress, developed by furqan-khanzada. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 0.8.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping of the 'category' parameter. An attacker with authenticated Contributor-level access or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages generated by the plugin. Because the malicious script is stored persistently, it executes in the browsers of any users who visit the affected pages, potentially compromising user sessions, stealing cookies, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of users. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network without user interaction, but requires low-privilege authentication, which limits exposure to sites allowing contributor-level users. The CVSS 3.1 score of 6.4 reflects a medium severity with low attack complexity and no need for user interaction, but with a scope change as the vulnerability affects other users beyond the attacker. No patches or official fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which is a common and well-understood web application security weakness related to improper neutralization of input during web page generation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to WordPress sites using the Menu Card plugin with multiple contributors. Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or data theft from users who visit compromised pages. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to data breaches, or facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement. Since the attack requires contributor-level access, insider threats or compromised contributor accounts increase risk. The persistent nature of stored XSS means that once injected, malicious scripts can affect many users over time. Organizations relying on WordPress for public-facing or internal content management should be vigilant, as exploitation could impact both customer-facing portals and internal collaboration platforms. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate it, especially given the medium severity and ease of exploitation once authenticated.

Organizations should immediately audit and restrict contributor-level access to trusted users only, implementing strict access controls and multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of account compromise. Monitor WordPress sites for unusual or suspicious content in the 'category' parameter or other input fields related to the Menu Card plugin. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block common XSS payloads targeting this plugin. Regularly update WordPress and plugins, and stay alert for official patches or security updates from the plugin developer or WordPress security teams. If no patch is available, consider temporarily disabling or removing the Menu Card plugin until a fix is released. Educate content contributors about secure input practices and the risks of injecting untrusted content. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the impact of any injected scripts. Conduct regular security scans and penetration tests focusing on XSS vulnerabilities in WordPress environments.