CVE-2025-2801 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the WordPress plugin "Create custom forms for WordPress with a smart form plugin for smart businesses – Form builder for WordPress" developed by dorinabc. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94, which pertains to improper control of code generation, commonly known as code injection. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 1.2.4 of the plugin. The root cause is the plugin's failure to properly validate user-supplied input before executing the WordPress function do_shortcode. This function processes shortcodes, which are snippets of code embedded in WordPress content to dynamically generate content or functionality. Because the plugin does not validate the input before passing it to do_shortcode, an unauthenticated attacker can craft malicious shortcodes and trigger their execution remotely without any authentication or user interaction. This can lead to arbitrary code execution within the context of the WordPress site. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.3, reflecting a high severity due to the vulnerability's network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:L/I:L/A:L). Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the vulnerability's characteristics make it a significant risk for WordPress sites using this plugin, as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes that could lead to data leakage, site defacement, or further compromise of the hosting environment. No patches or updates have been linked yet, indicating that users must be vigilant and consider mitigation steps until a fix is released.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for those relying on WordPress for their web presence, including e-commerce, corporate websites, and customer portals. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data (confidentiality impact), unauthorized modification or defacement of website content (integrity impact), and potential denial of service or site downtime (availability impact). Given that the vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, attackers can automate exploitation at scale, increasing the risk of widespread compromise. This is particularly concerning for organizations subject to GDPR and other data protection regulations, as breaches could result in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, compromised WordPress sites can be leveraged as entry points for lateral movement within corporate networks or for hosting phishing or malware distribution campaigns, amplifying the threat. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure further exacerbates the risk, making timely mitigation critical.

1. Immediate mitigation should include disabling or deactivating the affected plugin until a security patch is released by the vendor. 2. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block suspicious shortcode execution patterns or malformed requests targeting the plugin's endpoints. 3. Restrict access to WordPress administrative and plugin-related endpoints via IP whitelisting or VPN access to reduce exposure to unauthenticated attackers. 4. Monitor web server and WordPress logs for unusual shortcode execution attempts or anomalous POST/GET requests that may indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of potential code injection. 6. Regularly back up WordPress sites and databases to enable rapid restoration in case of compromise. 7. Educate site administrators about the risks of installing unverified plugins and encourage the use of plugins from reputable sources with active maintenance. 8. Once available, promptly apply vendor patches or updates addressing this vulnerability. 9. Conduct vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on WordPress environments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses proactively.