CVE-2025-14657 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) found in the Eventin – Event Manager, Event Booking, Calendar, Tickets and Registration Plugin for WordPress, developed by arraytics. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 4.0.51, where the 'post_settings' function lacks proper capability checks, allowing unauthenticated attackers to modify critical plugin settings without any authorization. This missing authorization control means that anyone can alter configuration parameters, potentially changing event details, ticketing options, or other sensitive settings. Furthermore, the vulnerability includes insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on the 'etn_primary_color' setting. This deficiency enables attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code, resulting in stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks that execute whenever a user visits a page loading Eventin styles. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.2, reflecting a high severity due to network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and a scope change (S:C) with partial confidentiality and integrity impact (C:L/I:L) but no availability impact (A:N). The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making it straightforward to exploit remotely. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the combination of unauthorized configuration changes and XSS injection poses significant risks to website integrity and user trust. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of data managed by the plugin and can lead to further attacks such as session hijacking, phishing, or defacement.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for those relying on WordPress and the Eventin plugin for managing events, bookings, and registrations. Unauthorized modification of plugin settings can disrupt event operations, cause misinformation, or enable further malicious activities. The XSS component can lead to theft of user credentials, session tokens, or delivery of malware to site visitors, undermining user trust and potentially violating GDPR requirements concerning data protection and breach notification. Organizations in sectors such as education, entertainment, conferences, and public services that use event management plugins are particularly vulnerable. The impact extends to brand reputation damage, legal liabilities, and operational disruptions. Given the plugin's widespread use in Europe and the ease of exploitation without authentication, the threat landscape is broad. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to target high-profile events or organizations, amplifying the potential damage.

Immediate mitigation steps include disabling or uninstalling the Eventin plugin until a security patch is released. Organizations should monitor vendor communications for updates and apply patches promptly once available. In the interim, restrict access to WordPress administrative interfaces using IP whitelisting or VPNs to limit exposure. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block attempts to exploit the 'post_settings' function or inject scripts via the 'etn_primary_color' parameter. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on any custom code interacting with the plugin. Regularly audit plugin settings and logs for unauthorized changes. Educate site administrators about the risks of unauthorized plugin modifications and ensure strong authentication mechanisms are in place. Additionally, consider deploying Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate the impact of XSS attacks by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. Finally, maintain regular backups of site data and configurations to enable rapid recovery if exploitation occurs.