CVE-2025-49355 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability classified under CWE-79, affecting the ikaes Accessibility Press plugin up to version 1.0.2. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during the generation of web pages, allowing malicious scripts to be stored and later executed in the context of other users' browsers. The CVSS v3.1 score is 5.9 (medium severity), with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:H) and user interaction (UI:R), and a scope change (S:C). The impact includes limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability losses, such as theft of session cookies, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. Exploitation requires an attacker to have authenticated access to the system and to trick a user into triggering the malicious payload. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The plugin is typically used in WordPress environments to enhance accessibility features, making it a target in web applications that prioritize compliance and user experience.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data leakage, and potential defacement of websites, undermining trust and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. Organizations relying on ikaes Accessibility Press for accessibility compliance may face reputational damage if exploited. The requirement for authenticated access and user interaction reduces the likelihood of widespread automated exploitation but does not eliminate targeted attacks, especially in environments with multiple users or contributors. The vulnerability could be leveraged in spear-phishing or insider threat scenarios to escalate privileges or pivot within networks. Additionally, compromised websites could be used to distribute malware or conduct further attacks, impacting availability and operational continuity.

European organizations should implement strict input validation and output encoding within the Accessibility Press plugin context to prevent script injection. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or restricting plugin usage to trusted users only. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting XSS payloads to detect and block exploitation attempts. Conduct regular security audits and code reviews focusing on user input handling in web applications. Educate users about the risks of interacting with suspicious content even within authenticated sessions. Monitor logs for unusual activities indicative of attempted XSS attacks. Once patches become available, prioritize immediate deployment. Additionally, consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the impact of any injected scripts.