CVE-2025-60170 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Taraprasad Swain HTACCESS IP Blocker plugin, specifically versions up to 1.0. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-352, which corresponds to Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). This flaw allows an attacker to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of an authenticated user without their consent. In this case, the CSRF vulnerability leads to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), meaning that malicious scripts can be permanently injected and stored within the application’s data, which will execute in the context of users who access the affected functionality. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.1, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L) reveals that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges, but does require user interaction. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with a scope change (S:C) indicating that the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable component. The HTACCESS IP Blocker is a tool used to restrict IP addresses via .htaccess rules, commonly deployed on web servers to prevent unauthorized access or mitigate attacks. The absence of available patches at the time of publication increases the risk for users who have not implemented workarounds or mitigations. The vulnerability’s exploitation could allow attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of administrative users or other privileged roles, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further compromise of the web server environment.

For European organizations, the exploitation of this vulnerability could have significant consequences. Many European companies and public sector entities rely on web server security tools like HTACCESS IP Blocker to enforce access controls and protect sensitive resources. A successful CSRF attack leading to stored XSS could allow attackers to bypass IP restrictions, execute arbitrary scripts, and gain unauthorized access to internal systems or sensitive data. This could result in data breaches, loss of customer trust, regulatory non-compliance (notably under GDPR), and potential financial penalties. Additionally, the ability to execute scripts in the context of administrative users could facilitate lateral movement within networks, enabling attackers to escalate privileges or deploy further malware. The vulnerability’s network-exploitable nature and low complexity make it a viable attack vector for cybercriminals targeting European organizations, especially those with public-facing web infrastructure using this plugin. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation, especially as threat actors often weaponize disclosed vulnerabilities rapidly.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations should implement several specific mitigations: 1) Immediately audit web servers to identify installations of the Taraprasad Swain HTACCESS IP Blocker plugin and assess exposure. 2) Disable or remove the vulnerable plugin where feasible until a patch is available. 3) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block CSRF attempts and malicious payloads targeting the plugin’s endpoints. 4) Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the impact of stored XSS by restricting script execution sources. 5) Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access to reduce the risk of session hijacking. 6) Monitor web server logs for unusual POST requests or suspicious activity indicative of CSRF or XSS exploitation attempts. 7) Educate users and administrators about the risks of CSRF and the importance of not interacting with suspicious links or sites. 8) Follow vendor channels closely for patch releases and apply updates promptly once available. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate risk reduction and detection tailored to this specific vulnerability and its exploitation vectors.