CVE-2025-49953 is a reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in the ShareBang, Ultimate Social Share Buttons plugin for WordPress, specifically in versions up to 1.4. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, which allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code into web pages viewed by other users. When a victim clicks a crafted URL containing malicious payloads, the injected script executes in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of cookies, defacement, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network without requiring authentication, but it requires user interaction to trigger the malicious payload. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1 reflects a high severity due to the ease of exploitation (low attack complexity), no privileges required, and the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability affects WordPress sites using this plugin, which is a popular social sharing tool, increasing the attack surface. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the widespread use of WordPress and social sharing plugins makes this a critical issue to address. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on October 22, 2025, with no official patch available at the time, highlighting the urgency for mitigation strategies.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites running WordPress with the ShareBang plugin. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data leakage, and potential defacement of public-facing websites, damaging brand reputation and customer trust. The reflected XSS can also be leveraged for phishing attacks targeting employees or customers, increasing the risk of credential theft or malware distribution. Given the reliance on WordPress for many corporate and governmental websites in Europe, the vulnerability could disrupt online services and expose sensitive information. The impact extends to compliance risks under GDPR if personal data is compromised. Additionally, the vulnerability could be exploited to pivot into internal networks if used as an initial access vector. The lack of a patch at disclosure time increases the window of exposure, necessitating immediate defensive measures.

1. Monitor for and apply official patches or updates from the plugin vendor as soon as they become available. 2. In the absence of a patch, disable or remove the ShareBang plugin from WordPress installations to eliminate the attack vector. 3. Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting the affected plugin's endpoints. 4. Implement strict Content Security Policies (CSP) to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 5. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on WordPress plugins and input validation. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking untrusted links, especially those that could exploit reflected XSS vulnerabilities. 7. Use security plugins for WordPress that provide additional input sanitization and output encoding. 8. Monitor web server logs and intrusion detection systems for suspicious activity related to the plugin's usage.