CVE-2025-1559 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the CC-IMG-Shortcode plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.1.0. The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), specifically due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes in the plugin's 'img' shortcode. This flaw allows authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages or posts. When other users access these pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, reflecting a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based (remote), with low attack complexity, requiring privileges (authenticated contributor or above), and no user interaction beyond viewing the infected content. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially compromised component. Confidentiality and integrity impacts are low, while availability is unaffected. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a risk especially in environments where multiple users have contributor or higher roles. The plugin is widely used in WordPress sites that rely on shortcode-based image embedding, making the attack surface significant. The vulnerability was published on March 13, 2025, and no official patches or updates have been linked yet, increasing the urgency for mitigation.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-1559 is the potential compromise of user confidentiality and integrity on affected WordPress sites. Attackers with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors or administrators, enabling session hijacking, theft of sensitive information such as cookies or credentials, and unauthorized actions performed with the victim's privileges. This can lead to account takeover, defacement, or further exploitation of the site. Although availability is not directly impacted, the reputational damage and potential data breaches can have significant operational and financial consequences. Organizations with multi-user WordPress environments, especially those granting contributor or higher roles to untrusted users, are at elevated risk. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without user interaction beyond page viewing, increasing the likelihood of exploitation once discovered. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate it, as attackers may develop exploits rapidly. The scope change indicates that the vulnerability can affect components beyond the plugin itself, potentially impacting the entire WordPress site and its users.

To mitigate CVE-2025-1559, organizations should first check for and apply any official patches or updates from the clearcodehq vendor as soon as they become available. In the absence of patches, administrators should restrict contributor-level and higher permissions to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious shortcode injection. Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block suspicious shortcode attribute inputs can provide temporary protection. Site owners should audit existing content for injected scripts and remove any suspicious shortcodes. Employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can help mitigate the impact of injected scripts by restricting script execution sources. Additionally, hardening WordPress security by disabling untrusted plugins, enforcing strong user authentication, and monitoring logs for unusual activity is recommended. Developers maintaining the plugin should update input validation and output escaping routines to properly sanitize all user-supplied attributes in shortcodes. Finally, educating content contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting untrusted code can reduce accidental exploitation.