CVE-2025-49911 is a reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in the wpinstinct WooCommerce Vehicle Parts Finder plugin, affecting versions up to and including 3.7. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that are reflected back to users. This type of vulnerability can be exploited by crafting a malicious URL or input that, when visited or submitted by a victim, executes arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim’s browser. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 indicates a high severity level, with an attack vector over the network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited extent (C:L/I:L/A:L). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites using this plugin, especially e-commerce sites in the automotive parts sector. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in October 2025, but no patch links are currently provided, indicating that a fix may be pending or not yet publicly available. The reflected XSS can be leveraged for session hijacking, defacement, phishing, or delivering malware payloads, potentially compromising user data and trust.

For European organizations, particularly those operating e-commerce platforms using WooCommerce with the Vehicle Parts Finder plugin, this vulnerability could lead to significant security incidents. Attackers exploiting this reflected XSS can hijack user sessions, steal sensitive customer data, manipulate website content, or redirect users to malicious sites. This undermines customer trust and can result in financial losses, regulatory penalties under GDPR for data breaches, and reputational damage. Automotive parts retailers and marketplaces are prime targets due to the plugin’s niche. The vulnerability’s ability to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability—even partially—means that business operations could be disrupted, and sensitive information exposed. Since exploitation requires user interaction, phishing campaigns or malicious links could be used to trigger attacks. The lack of a current patch increases risk exposure. Organizations failing to address this vulnerability may face increased risk of targeted attacks, especially in countries with large automotive and e-commerce sectors.

1. Monitor the wpinstinct vendor channels and official WooCommerce plugin repositories closely for the release of a security patch addressing CVE-2025-49911 and apply it immediately upon availability. 2. Until a patch is released, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block reflected XSS attack patterns targeting the Vehicle Parts Finder plugin. 3. Employ strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data, particularly in URL parameters and form inputs related to the plugin’s functionality. 4. Educate users and staff about the risks of clicking on suspicious links and implement email filtering to reduce phishing attempts that could exploit this vulnerability. 5. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on XSS vulnerabilities in WooCommerce plugins. 6. Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the Vehicle Parts Finder plugin if a patch is not available and the risk is deemed unacceptable. 7. Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected web pages. 8. Monitor web server and application logs for unusual request patterns indicative of attempted XSS exploitation.