CVE-2025-53238 is a Stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in the Toast Plugins Toast Mobile Menu, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.0.7. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during the generation of web pages, which allows malicious actors to inject persistent scripts into the menu component of websites using this plugin. When a victim visits a compromised page, the injected script executes in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1, indicating high severity, with an attack vector of network (remote exploitation), low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. The impact includes limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability losses. No known public exploits have been reported yet, but the risk remains significant due to the nature of stored XSS. The vulnerability affects websites that utilize the Toast Mobile Menu plugin, commonly used in WordPress environments to provide responsive mobile navigation menus. Since the plugin is widely used in small to medium business websites, e-commerce, and content platforms, exploitation could lead to widespread user impact if left unmitigated.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized script execution in users’ browsers, resulting in theft of sensitive information such as session cookies, personal data, or credentials. This can facilitate account takeover, fraud, and further compromise of internal systems if attackers leverage stolen credentials. The integrity of website content can be compromised, damaging brand reputation and customer trust. Availability may be affected if attackers use the vulnerability to inject disruptive scripts or redirect users to malicious sites. Organizations in sectors with high web presence, such as retail, finance, and government services, are particularly at risk. The cross-site scripting nature of the vulnerability means that even non-technical users can be targeted, increasing the attack surface. Given the interconnectedness of European digital services, a successful attack could have cascading effects on supply chains and customer bases. Compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations may be jeopardized if personal data is exposed due to exploitation.

Organizations should immediately audit their websites to identify usage of the Toast Mobile Menu plugin and verify the version in use. Since no official patch links are provided yet, temporary mitigations include disabling the plugin or removing the vulnerable menu component until a patch is released. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user inputs that interact with the menu plugin to prevent malicious script injection. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of potential XSS attacks. Regularly monitor web application logs for suspicious activities indicative of XSS exploitation attempts. Educate web developers and administrators on secure coding practices, especially regarding output encoding and input handling in web page generation. Once a patched version is available, prioritize updating the plugin promptly. Additionally, conduct penetration testing focused on XSS vulnerabilities to ensure no residual issues remain.