CVE-2025-53274 is a high-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-352, indicating a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue in the WP Permalink Translator plugin developed by Hossin Asaadi. This plugin is used within WordPress environments to translate permalinks, facilitating multilingual URL structures. The vulnerability allows an attacker to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of an authenticated user by exploiting the lack of proper CSRF protections. Specifically, the CSRF flaw enables a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack vector, meaning that malicious scripts can be injected and persist within the application, potentially affecting all users who access the compromised content. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.1 reflects a high severity, with an attack vector that is network-based (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact metrics show low confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts individually (C:L/I:L/A:L), but combined they represent a significant threat. The vulnerability affects all versions of WP Permalink Translator up to and including 1.7.6. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, but the presence of stored XSS via CSRF can lead to session hijacking, defacement, or further exploitation of the WordPress site and its users.

For European organizations, especially those relying on WordPress for their web presence and using the WP Permalink Translator plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized actions performed under the context of legitimate users, including administrators, potentially resulting in site defacement, data leakage, or further compromise of internal systems if the WordPress site is integrated with other enterprise services. The stored XSS component can facilitate persistent attacks, affecting visitors and users across the organization’s web platforms, damaging reputation and trust. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe across various sectors including e-commerce, media, and government, the impact could be broad. Additionally, GDPR considerations mean that any data breach or unauthorized data manipulation could lead to regulatory penalties. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be used to trigger the exploit, increasing the attack surface.

Organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations for the presence of the WP Permalink Translator plugin and verify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, mitigation can include disabling or uninstalling the plugin to eliminate the attack vector. Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with rules to detect and block CSRF and XSS attack patterns can provide temporary protection. Enforcing strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can reduce the impact of stored XSS by restricting script execution. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all users, especially administrators, are trained to recognize phishing attempts that could trigger user interaction. Monitoring logs for unusual POST requests or changes in permalink settings can help detect exploitation attempts. Once a patch is available, prompt application of updates is critical. Finally, employing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for WordPress admin accounts can reduce the risk of account takeover even if CSRF is exploited.