CVE-2025-47514 is a high-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery, CSRF) affecting Eli's Related Posts Footer Links and Widget, a plugin or component used to display related posts in website footers. The vulnerability allows an attacker to perform CSRF attacks that lead to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Specifically, the CSRF flaw enables unauthorized state-changing requests to be made on behalf of authenticated users without their consent. This can be exploited to inject malicious scripts that persistently store XSS payloads within the widget's content or configuration. The vulnerability affects all versions up to 1.2.04.20, with no patch currently available. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.1, indicating high severity, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L. This means the attack can be launched remotely over the network without privileges, requires low attack complexity, no privileges, but does require user interaction (e.g., clicking a crafted link). The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact includes low confidentiality, integrity, and availability losses, but the stored XSS can lead to session hijacking, defacement, or further exploitation. No known exploits are currently in the wild. The vulnerability was published on May 7, 2025, and is enriched by CISA, indicating recognition by US cybersecurity authorities. The lack of patches means organizations must rely on mitigation until a fix is released.

For European organizations using Eli's Related Posts Footer Links and Widget, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to website integrity and user trust. Stored XSS can lead to theft of user credentials, session tokens, and sensitive data, potentially violating GDPR requirements for data protection and privacy. The CSRF aspect allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions, possibly altering website content or configurations, leading to defacement or misinformation. This can damage brand reputation and customer confidence. Additionally, compromised websites can be used as launchpads for further attacks against visitors or internal networks. The vulnerability's network accessibility and low complexity increase the likelihood of exploitation, especially in sectors with high web presence such as e-commerce, media, and government portals. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be used to trigger the attack. Given the persistent nature of stored XSS, remediation and incident response can be complex and costly.

Until an official patch is released, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Disable or remove Eli's Related Posts Footer Links and Widget if feasible, especially on high-risk or sensitive websites. 2) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block CSRF attempts and suspicious payloads targeting the widget's endpoints. 3) Enforce strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution and mitigate XSS impact. 4) Implement anti-CSRF tokens and verify the origin of requests at the application level if customization is possible. 5) Conduct thorough input validation and sanitization on any user-submitted data related to the widget. 6) Educate users and administrators about phishing risks to reduce successful user interaction exploitation. 7) Monitor logs and website behavior for anomalies indicating exploitation attempts. 8) Prepare incident response plans specifically addressing stored XSS and CSRF scenarios. 9) Engage with the vendor or community to track patch releases and apply updates promptly once available.