CVE-2025-28981 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Soli WP Mail Options WordPress plugin, specifically affecting versions up to 0.2.3. The vulnerability is classified as a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue (CWE-352) that enables an attacker to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of an authenticated user. In this case, the CSRF flaw allows an attacker to inject stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) payloads into the plugin's mail options settings. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without requiring authentication (AV:N, PR:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), but requires user interaction (UI:R), such as tricking an authenticated user into clicking a malicious link or visiting a crafted webpage. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the vulnerable component, potentially impacting the entire WordPress site. The impact includes partial confidentiality loss (C:L), integrity loss (I:L), and availability loss (A:L), as the attacker can manipulate stored settings and execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser. This can lead to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the WordPress site and its users. No public exploits are currently known in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in March 2025 and published in June 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. Given the nature of WordPress plugins and their widespread use, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites using the affected plugin version.

For European organizations, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk, especially for those relying on WordPress websites with the Soli WP Mail Options plugin installed. The stored XSS enabled via CSRF can lead to unauthorized changes in mail configurations, potentially disrupting email communications critical for business operations. Moreover, the stored XSS can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform phishing attacks, or escalate privileges within the affected website, compromising sensitive data and user trust. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and government, which often rely on WordPress for public-facing sites or internal portals, could face data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties under GDPR if personal data is exposed. The ease of exploitation without authentication and the potential for broad impact across the website amplify the threat. Additionally, the lack of a patch at the time of disclosure increases the urgency for mitigation. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to establish persistent footholds or pivot to other internal systems, making it a critical concern for European enterprises and public institutions.

Given the absence of an official patch, European organizations should implement immediate compensating controls. First, audit all WordPress installations to identify the presence of the Soli WP Mail Options plugin and verify its version. Disable or remove the plugin if it is not essential. If the plugin is required, restrict administrative access to trusted personnel only and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised accounts. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block CSRF attack patterns and suspicious POST requests targeting the plugin's endpoints. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate the impact of stored XSS by restricting script execution sources. Regularly monitor logs for unusual activity related to mail option changes or unexpected user actions. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking untrusted links to reduce the likelihood of successful CSRF attacks. Once a patch is released, prioritize immediate application and conduct thorough testing to ensure the vulnerability is fully remediated. Additionally, consider isolating critical WordPress instances from sensitive internal networks to limit lateral movement in case of compromise.