CVE-2025-49859 is a Stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the etruel WP Views Counter plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to 2.0.3. The vulnerability arises due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize or encode input data before rendering it in the web interface, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that are persistently stored and executed in the context of users visiting the affected pages. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), user interaction (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and low impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:L/I:L/A:L). This means that an attacker with some level of authenticated access can craft payloads that, when viewed by other users, execute malicious JavaScript code. The scope change indicates that the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable plugin, potentially impacting the broader WordPress environment or user sessions. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s nature as stored XSS poses risks of session hijacking, privilege escalation, defacement, or distribution of malware through trusted sites. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention from site administrators using this plugin. Given the widespread use of WordPress and its plugins, this vulnerability can be leveraged to compromise site visitors and administrators alike, especially in environments where multiple users interact with the plugin’s features.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, particularly for those relying on WordPress-based websites for business operations, customer engagement, or internal portals. Stored XSS can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, theft of sensitive information, and injection of malicious content that damages brand reputation and trust. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, finance, healthcare, and government are especially at risk due to the sensitivity of data handled and regulatory requirements like GDPR. The scope change in the CVSS vector suggests that the vulnerability could affect multiple components or user roles, increasing the potential attack surface. Exploitation could facilitate lateral movement within networks if administrative credentials are compromised. Additionally, the requirement for low privileges and user interaction means that attackers might exploit compromised or low-level accounts to escalate attacks, making insider threats or compromised user accounts a vector. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits rapidly once details are public. The medium severity rating indicates a moderate but non-trivial risk that should be addressed promptly to prevent exploitation and potential regulatory non-compliance due to data breaches.

1. Immediate mitigation should include disabling or uninstalling the etruel WP Views Counter plugin until a security patch is released. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data, especially in custom code or other plugins that interact with WP Views Counter data. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4. Enforce the principle of least privilege by reviewing and limiting user roles and permissions within WordPress to reduce the risk posed by low-privilege accounts. 5. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual activity or injection attempts related to the plugin. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or interacting with untrusted content within the site. 7. Once available, promptly apply vendor patches or updates addressing this vulnerability. 8. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting WordPress plugins. 9. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on plugin vulnerabilities and input sanitization. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate plugin removal, strict privilege management, and layered defenses such as CSP and WAFs.