CVE-2025-4585 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the IRM Newsroom plugin for WordPress, specifically through the 'irmflat' shortcode. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.2.17 due to improper input sanitization and insufficient output escaping of user-supplied attributes. An authenticated attacker with contributor-level access or higher can exploit this flaw by injecting arbitrary JavaScript code into pages generated by the plugin. Because the malicious script is stored persistently, it executes every time any user accesses the compromised page, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity, requiring privileges equivalent to contributor-level access but no user interaction is needed for the payload to execute once injected. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable plugin, impacting the confidentiality and integrity of the affected WordPress site. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been released as of the publication date (June 13, 2025).

For European organizations using WordPress sites with the IRM Newsroom plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to web application security. Attackers with contributor-level access—often granted to content creators or editors—can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors and administrators. This can lead to theft of authentication cookies, enabling session hijacking and unauthorized access to privileged accounts. The integrity of published content can be compromised, potentially damaging organizational reputation and trust. Confidential information accessible via the site could be exposed or manipulated. Although availability is not directly impacted, the resulting unauthorized access and data breaches could lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR, resulting in financial penalties and legal consequences. The medium severity rating reflects the need for timely mitigation, especially for organizations with multiple contributors or less stringent access controls. Given WordPress’s widespread use in Europe, especially among SMEs and public sector entities, the vulnerability could have broad implications if exploited at scale.

1. Immediate mitigation involves restricting contributor-level access to trusted users only and reviewing existing user roles to minimize unnecessary privileges. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data, particularly for shortcode attributes, to prevent script injection. 3. Monitor WordPress sites for unusual content changes or injected scripts, using security plugins capable of detecting XSS payloads. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 5. Regularly audit and update all WordPress plugins and themes; although no patch is currently available for this vulnerability, stay alert for vendor updates or community patches. 6. Consider temporarily disabling or removing the IRM Newsroom plugin if it is not critical to operations until a secure version is released. 7. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce secure content creation policies. 8. Use Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block XSS attempts targeting the 'irmflat' shortcode or similar vectors.