CVE-2025-14983 identifies a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome Field plugin for WordPress, maintained by mattkeys. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 5.0.1 due to insufficient sanitization of user inputs and lack of proper output escaping during web page generation. This flaw allows authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the plugin's fields. When other users view the affected pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data theft. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 and has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.4, indicating medium severity. The attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. Currently, no public exploits or patches are available, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and documented by Wordfence. The flaw primarily threatens confidentiality and integrity of user data and site content but does not impact availability. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for multi-user WordPress environments where contributors can add or edit content, as it enables cross-user script injection.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites using the Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome Field plugin, especially those with multiple user roles including Contributors or higher. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized script execution in browsers of site administrators or other users, resulting in session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. This undermines trust in the affected websites and can lead to data breaches or defacement. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, government, education, and media, which often rely on WordPress with multiple contributors, are particularly vulnerable. The impact extends to brand reputation, regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR), and potential financial losses. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, insider threats or compromised contributor accounts increase risk. The lack of known exploits currently reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk of future attacks.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately audit user roles and permissions, restricting Contributor-level access to trusted users only. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-generated content fields, especially those related to the Font Awesome Field plugin. Monitor logs for unusual contributor activity or unexpected script injections. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting XSS payloads specific to this plugin. Since no official patch is currently available, consider temporarily disabling or removing the vulnerable plugin if feasible. Educate content contributors about safe input practices and the risks of injecting scripts. Regularly update WordPress core and plugins to the latest versions once patches are released. Conduct penetration testing focusing on XSS vectors within multi-user environments. Finally, implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to reduce the impact of potential script injections.