CVE-2025-14555 identifies a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the 'Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown' WordPress plugin developed by wpdevart, present in all versions up to and including 2.7.7. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied input within the 'wpdevart_countdown' shortcode attributes. Authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages or posts using this shortcode. When other users access these pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or distribution of malware. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4 reflects that exploitation requires network access, low attack complexity, privileges at the contributor level, no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality and integrity with a scope change. The vulnerability does not affect availability. No patches are currently linked, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild, but the risk remains significant due to the widespread use of WordPress and the plugin. The flaw is categorized under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The vulnerability was reserved in December 2025 and published in January 2026, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to websites using WordPress with the vulnerable Countdown Timer plugin. Exploitation can lead to unauthorized script execution in users' browsers, compromising session tokens, redirecting users to malicious sites, or defacing web content. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to data breaches involving user credentials or personal data, and potentially facilitate further attacks such as phishing or malware distribution. Since contributor-level access is required, insider threats or compromised accounts increase risk. The impact is heightened for organizations relying on WordPress for customer-facing portals, e-commerce, or internal collaboration sites. GDPR implications arise if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The vulnerability does not directly affect system availability but can degrade trust and operational integrity. Given the medium CVSS score, the threat is significant but not critical, allowing time for mitigation before widespread exploitation.

Organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations to identify the presence of the 'Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown' plugin and verify its version. Until an official patch is released, restrict contributor-level permissions to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious shortcode usage. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block malicious payloads targeting the 'wpdevart_countdown' shortcode parameters. Employ input validation and output encoding at the application level if custom modifications are possible. Regularly review user-generated content for injected scripts. Educate content contributors about the risks of embedding untrusted code. Once a patch becomes available, promptly update the plugin to the fixed version. Additionally, consider disabling or replacing the plugin if it is not essential. Conduct routine security scans and penetration tests focusing on XSS vulnerabilities. Maintain comprehensive logging to detect exploitation attempts. Finally, ensure that WordPress core and all plugins are kept up to date to reduce attack surface.