CVE-2025-14114 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the 1180px Shortcodes plugin for WordPress, maintained by chrisblackwell. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.1.1. The root cause is insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input in the 'class' attribute of the shortcode, which allows authenticated users with Contributor-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into WordPress pages. When other users access these pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially compromising session tokens, redirecting users, or performing actions on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability requires authentication but no additional user interaction, and the attack complexity is low, making it relatively straightforward for an attacker with contributor access to exploit. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting a medium severity with a network attack vector, low complexity, and impact on confidentiality and integrity but no impact on availability. No public exploits or patches are currently available, increasing the urgency for organizations to implement interim mitigations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which covers improper neutralization of input during web page generation leading to XSS. Given WordPress's widespread use in Europe and the popularity of shortcode plugins for content management, this vulnerability poses a tangible risk to websites that allow multiple contributors to publish content.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to significant security risks including theft of user credentials, session hijacking, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, and potential defacement or redirection of websites. Organizations relying on WordPress sites with multiple contributors are particularly vulnerable, as attackers only need contributor-level access to exploit the flaw. This can undermine trust in the organization's web presence, lead to data breaches involving user information, and cause reputational damage. Since the vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of web sessions and data, it can facilitate further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. The absence of a patch and known exploits in the wild means organizations must proactively address the risk to prevent exploitation. Additionally, sectors with high regulatory scrutiny in Europe, such as finance, healthcare, and government, may face compliance issues if such vulnerabilities are exploited.

1. Immediately audit and restrict Contributor-level user accounts to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of malicious shortcode injection. 2. Temporarily disable or remove the 1180px Shortcodes plugin until an official patch is released. 3. Implement custom input validation and output escaping for shortcode attributes if plugin usage is essential, using WordPress hooks or security plugins that sanitize shortcode inputs. 4. Monitor website content and logs for unusual shortcode usage or unexpected script injections. 5. Educate content contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting untrusted code. 6. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting shortcode attributes. 7. Keep WordPress core and all plugins updated regularly and subscribe to vulnerability advisories for timely patching. 8. Consider deploying Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks by restricting script execution sources. 9. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on user-generated content features.