CVE-2025-58961 identifies a DOM-based Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the kamleshyadav CF7 Auto Responder Addon, a WordPress plugin designed to automate responses for Contact Form 7 submissions. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during the generation of web pages, allowing malicious scripts to be injected and executed in the context of a victim’s browser. This type of XSS is client-side, meaning the attack payload is executed within the Document Object Model (DOM) of the user’s browser rather than on the server. The affected versions include all releases up to and including 2.4. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or authentication to exploit but does require user interaction, such as clicking a crafted URL or visiting a malicious page that triggers the script execution. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.1, reflecting a high severity due to network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction, and the potential for partial confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts. The vulnerability’s scope is changed (S:C), indicating that exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component itself. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the widespread use of Contact Form 7 and its addons in WordPress ecosystems makes this a significant risk. The lack of published patches at the time of disclosure means that organizations must rely on interim mitigations until updates are available. The vulnerability could be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or deliver further malware payloads, impacting the security posture of affected websites.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-58961 can be significant, especially for those relying on WordPress websites with the CF7 Auto Responder Addon installed. Successful exploitation could lead to theft of sensitive user data, session hijacking, defacement of websites, or distribution of malware to visitors, undermining user trust and potentially violating data protection regulations such as GDPR. The partial compromise of confidentiality and integrity can expose personal data submitted through contact forms, which may include customer inquiries or other sensitive information. Additionally, availability impacts could arise if attackers use the vulnerability to disrupt website functionality or inject disruptive scripts. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and public-facing services that use this addon are particularly vulnerable due to potentially limited cybersecurity resources. The reputational damage and regulatory consequences of a breach could be substantial. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction, social engineering campaigns targeting European users could increase the risk of exploitation. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often develop exploits rapidly after disclosure.

Organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Monitor for updates from the kamleshyadav CF7 Auto Responder Addon vendor and apply patches immediately once available. 2) Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data, especially in contact form inputs and any parameters reflected in web pages. 3) Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4) Use Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tuned to detect and block typical XSS payloads targeting this plugin. 5) Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking untrusted links and the importance of verifying URLs before interaction. 6) Regularly audit WordPress plugins and remove or replace those that are outdated or unsupported. 7) Monitor logs and user activity for signs of suspicious behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. 8) Consider isolating critical web applications or using sandboxing techniques to limit the scope of potential compromise. These measures, combined, will reduce the attack surface and limit the potential damage from exploitation.