CVE-2025-6259 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the esri-map-view plugin for WordPress, developed by geoplay9. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.2.3. The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), specifically due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping of user-supplied attributes within the plugin's esri-map-view shortcode. An authenticated attacker with contributor-level privileges or higher can exploit this vulnerability by injecting arbitrary malicious scripts into pages using the shortcode. These scripts are then stored persistently and executed in the context of any user who views the compromised page, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or other malicious actions. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector indicates network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), with a scope change (S:C), and impacts confidentiality and integrity to a low degree (C:L/I:L), but no impact on availability (A:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have yet been published. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in August 2025.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially for those using WordPress sites with the esri-map-view plugin to display geographic data. The stored XSS can allow attackers with contributor-level access to inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors or administrators. This can lead to theft of authentication tokens, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. Given that contributor-level access is required, the threat is more relevant in environments where multiple users have editing permissions, such as public-facing websites, municipal portals, or collaborative platforms. The confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data can be compromised, potentially leading to data breaches or reputational damage. The scope change in the CVSS vector indicates that the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component, increasing the potential impact. Since no patches are currently available, organizations must rely on mitigation strategies to reduce risk. The lack of known exploits in the wild suggests limited active exploitation at this time, but the medium severity and ease of exploitation (low complexity, no user interaction) warrant proactive measures.

1. Immediately audit WordPress sites using the esri-map-view plugin to identify if the vulnerable versions (up to 1.2.3) are in use. 2. Restrict contributor-level access strictly to trusted users and review user permissions to minimize the number of users who can inject content via shortcodes. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that detect and block suspicious script injections in shortcode parameters or page content. 4. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the domains from which scripts can be loaded, reducing the impact of injected scripts. 5. Monitor logs and user activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or removing the esri-map-view plugin if feasible, or replacing it with alternative mapping plugins that do not have this vulnerability. 7. Educate content contributors about safe content practices and the risks of injecting untrusted input. 8. Prepare to apply patches promptly once they become available from the vendor.