CVE-2025-62897 is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the WP Recipe Maker plugin for WordPress, developed by Brecht. The issue stems from improper neutralization of script-related HTML tags within the plugin's web page rendering process, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 10.1.1. The exploitation vector is remote and does not require any privileges or user interaction, making it relatively easy to exploit. Once exploited, an attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the affected website, potentially stealing sensitive information such as cookies, session tokens, or other data accessible via the browser. However, the vulnerability does not impact integrity or availability directly. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no official patches have been linked yet. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3, indicating medium severity, with the attack vector being network-based, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, and limited confidentiality impact. The vulnerability is categorized under improper neutralization of script-related HTML tags, a common XSS flaw that can be mitigated by proper input validation and output encoding. Given the popularity of WordPress and the WP Recipe Maker plugin among food bloggers, recipe sites, and related businesses, this vulnerability could be leveraged to target these sites for data theft or to deliver malicious payloads to visitors.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-62897 is the potential compromise of user confidentiality through theft of session cookies or other sensitive browser data. This could lead to account hijacking or unauthorized access to user accounts on affected websites. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect data integrity or availability, successful exploitation could facilitate further attacks such as phishing, malware distribution, or reputation damage. Organizations running WordPress sites with the WP Recipe Maker plugin are at risk of having their sites used as vectors for malicious activity, which could erode customer trust and lead to regulatory scrutiny under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the threat level, especially for high-traffic sites. However, the lack of known active exploits reduces immediate risk. Still, the widespread use of WordPress in Europe, particularly in countries with large digital economies, means that many organizations could be exposed if they do not apply timely mitigations.

1. Monitor official channels from the WP Recipe Maker vendor and WordPress plugin repository for patches addressing CVE-2025-62897 and apply updates immediately upon release. 2. Until a patch is available, implement Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block XSS payloads targeting the WP Recipe Maker plugin. 3. Conduct a thorough audit of all user inputs and outputs related to the plugin on your WordPress site, ensuring proper sanitization and encoding of HTML and script-related tags. 4. Restrict plugin usage to trusted administrators and limit the ability to add or edit recipe content to reduce the attack surface. 5. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts on affected pages. 6. Regularly scan your WordPress environment with security tools that can detect XSS vulnerabilities and signs of compromise. 7. Educate site administrators and content creators about the risks of injecting untrusted content and the importance of security hygiene. 8. Backup website data regularly to enable quick recovery in case of compromise.