CVE-2025-48249 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the WPFactory EAN for WooCommerce plugin, affecting versions up to 5.4.6. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), allowing malicious actors to inject and store arbitrary scripts within the plugin's data. When a victim accesses the affected page, the malicious script executes in their browser context. The CVSS 3.1 score of 6.5 (medium severity) indicates that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely (AV:N), requires low complexity (AC:L), but does require privileges (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a low level. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because WooCommerce is a widely used e-commerce platform on WordPress, and the EAN for WooCommerce plugin is used to manage product identifiers. Stored XSS can lead to session hijacking, defacement, phishing, or distribution of malware. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was published recently on May 19, 2025, and is tracked by Patchstack and CISA enrichment, indicating recognition by security authorities.

For European organizations using WooCommerce with the WPFactory EAN plugin, this vulnerability poses a risk to e-commerce operations and customer trust. Exploitation could allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of administrators or customers, potentially leading to theft of session cookies, unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirection to malicious sites. This can result in data breaches involving customer personal and payment information, reputational damage, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR due to inadequate protection of user data. The medium severity suggests that while exploitation requires some privileges and user interaction, the widespread use of WooCommerce in Europe, especially among SMEs and online retailers, increases the attack surface. Additionally, the scope change implies that the impact could extend beyond the plugin itself, potentially affecting other integrated components or systems. The absence of known exploits provides a window for mitigation, but organizations should act promptly to prevent exploitation.

European organizations should immediately audit their WooCommerce installations to identify the presence and version of the WPFactory EAN plugin. Until an official patch is released, apply the following mitigations: 1) Restrict plugin access to trusted administrators only, minimizing the number of users who can input or modify data that might be rendered unsafely. 2) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns indicative of XSS payloads targeting the plugin. 3) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 4) Educate administrators and users about the risk of phishing or suspicious links that could trigger stored XSS. 5) Monitor logs and user activity for unusual behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. 6) Regularly back up site data to enable recovery in case of compromise. 7) Stay alert for official patches or updates from WPFactory and apply them promptly. 8) Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the plugin if feasible until a fix is available.