CVE-2025-49908 is a stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the WPClever WPC Countdown Timer plugin for WooCommerce, a popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability exists due to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, which allows an attacker with low privileges (such as a subscriber or contributor role) to inject malicious JavaScript code that is stored persistently within the plugin's data. When other users, including administrators or customers, view the affected pages, the malicious script executes in their browsers within the context of the vulnerable site. This can lead to the theft of sensitive information such as session cookies, enabling account hijacking or further attacks like phishing or privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 3.1.4. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5, indicating a medium severity level, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, meaning the attack can be launched remotely over the network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges but no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality significantly without affecting integrity or availability. No public exploits are currently known, but the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation make it a credible threat. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available, increasing the urgency for mitigation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for WooCommerce stores that rely on this plugin to create urgency via countdown timers, as attackers could exploit the trust users place in these elements to inject malicious scripts.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for e-commerce businesses using WooCommerce with the WPC Countdown Timer plugin. Exploitation could lead to the compromise of customer session tokens, enabling attackers to impersonate users, access personal and payment information, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users. This can result in data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties under GDPR due to exposure of personal data. Since the vulnerability requires only low privileges, insider threats or compromised low-level accounts could be leveraged to inject malicious scripts. The stored nature of the XSS means the malicious payload persists and can affect multiple users over time, increasing the attack surface. Additionally, attackers could use the vulnerability to deliver further malware or phishing attacks, undermining customer trust. The medium severity rating reflects a moderate but tangible risk that should not be ignored, especially given the critical role of e-commerce in many European economies.

1. Immediately audit and restrict user roles and permissions to minimize the number of users who can input data into the WPC Countdown Timer plugin. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding for all data handled by the plugin, ensuring that any user-supplied content is properly sanitized before rendering on web pages. 3. Monitor logs and web traffic for unusual or suspicious activity related to the plugin, such as unexpected script tags or anomalous user behavior. 4. If possible, temporarily disable or remove the WPC Countdown Timer plugin until a security patch is released. 5. Stay informed via official vendor channels or security advisories for the release of a patch and apply it promptly once available. 6. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on the website. 7. Educate administrators and users about the risks of XSS and encourage vigilance against suspicious links or behaviors. 8. Consider using web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS attempts targeting this plugin. 9. Regularly back up website data to enable recovery in case of compromise. 10. Conduct security testing and code review of customizations related to the plugin to identify and remediate potential injection points.