CVE-2025-1783 identifies a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Gallery Styles plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.3.4. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), specifically due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied data in the Gallery Block feature. Authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. Because the malicious script is stored persistently, it executes every time any user accesses the infected page, potentially compromising user sessions, stealing cookies, or performing unauthorized actions within the context of the victim’s browser session. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without user interaction, but requires at least contributor-level authentication, which limits exposure to some extent. The CVSS v3.1 score of 6.4 reflects a medium severity, with attack vector being network, low attack complexity, privileges required, no user interaction, and a scope change due to impact on other users. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk in multi-user WordPress environments where contributors can add content. The lack of patches or official fixes at the time of publication necessitates immediate mitigation efforts.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-1783 is the compromise of confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data on affected WordPress sites. Attackers with contributor access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of any visitors to the infected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions, or defacement. This can erode user trust, damage brand reputation, and expose sensitive information. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, it mainly threatens sites with multiple contributors or editors, such as news portals, community blogs, or corporate websites. The scope of impact extends beyond the attacker’s privileges because the injected scripts run in the context of other users, including administrators or site visitors. Although availability is not directly affected, the indirect consequences of exploitation can disrupt normal operations and necessitate incident response. Organizations worldwide using the Gallery Styles plugin face risks of targeted attacks, especially those with high traffic or sensitive user bases.

1. Immediate mitigation involves restricting contributor-level access to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious content injection. 2. Disable or remove the Gallery Styles plugin until an official patch or update is released by the vendor. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious script injections targeting the Gallery Block. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected pages. 5. Conduct thorough code reviews and sanitize all user inputs rigorously in custom or third-party plugins. 6. Monitor logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 7. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content. 8. Once available, promptly apply vendor patches or updates addressing this vulnerability. 9. Consider using security plugins that provide enhanced input validation and output escaping for WordPress content. 10. Regularly back up site data to enable recovery in case of compromise.