CVE-2025-48154 is a high-severity reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the LambertGroup Multimedia Playlist Slider Addon for WPBakery Page Builder, a popular WordPress page builder plugin. The vulnerability arises due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation (CWE-79). Specifically, the addon fails to adequately sanitize or encode input parameters that are reflected back in the web page output, allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts. When a victim user interacts with a crafted URL or input that triggers this vulnerability, the injected script executes in the context of the victim’s browser. This can lead to theft of session cookies, defacement, redirection to malicious sites, or other malicious actions that compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected web application and its users. The vulnerability affects all versions of the Multimedia Playlist Slider Addon for WPBakery Page Builder up to version 2.1. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.1, indicating a high severity, with the vector string CVSS:3.1/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 (clicking a malicious link). The scope is changed (S:C), indicating the vulnerability affects resources beyond the vulnerable component. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is low but present. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. The vulnerability was reserved in May 2025 and published in August 2025. Given the widespread use of WPBakery Page Builder and its addons in WordPress sites globally, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites using this addon, especially those that handle sensitive user data or provide critical services.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can have several impacts. Many European businesses and institutions rely on WordPress for their web presence, including e-commerce, government portals, educational institutions, and media outlets. A successful reflected XSS attack could lead to session hijacking, allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information or administrative functions. It could also facilitate phishing attacks by injecting malicious content into trusted websites, damaging brand reputation and user trust. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged to deliver malware or ransomware payloads, impacting availability and causing operational disruption. Given the GDPR regulatory environment in Europe, exploitation leading to data breaches could result in significant legal and financial penalties. The reflected nature of the XSS means that attacks require user interaction, but social engineering tactics can easily achieve this. The changed scope indicates that the impact may extend beyond the vulnerable plugin, potentially affecting other components or user sessions. Overall, the threat is significant for European organizations that use this addon without mitigation or patching, especially those with high web traffic or sensitive data processing.

1. Immediate action should be to update the Multimedia Playlist Slider Addon for WPBakery Page Builder to a patched version once released by LambertGroup. Monitor vendor channels for patch announcements. 2. Until a patch is available, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block typical reflected XSS attack patterns targeting this addon’s parameters. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data in custom code or site configurations that interact with the addon. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on suspicious links, especially those that could trigger reflected XSS. 6. Regularly scan the website with automated vulnerability scanners that can detect reflected XSS vulnerabilities. 7. Review and limit the privileges of users who manage the WordPress site to minimize potential damage from session hijacking. 8. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual requests or error patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 9. Consider isolating or disabling the vulnerable addon if it is not critical to site functionality until a patch is applied. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on interim protective controls and user awareness while awaiting official fixes.