CVE-2025-68518 is a reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in ThemeGoods Hoteller, a WordPress theme designed for hotel and booking websites. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, which allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code into web pages viewed by other users. Specifically, when a crafted URL or input is processed by the vulnerable Hoteller versions prior to 6.8.9, the malicious script is reflected back in the HTTP response without proper sanitization or encoding. This enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim’s browser session. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 reflects the network attack vector (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 can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. The impact metrics show low confidentiality (C:L), integrity (I:L), and availability (A:L) impacts, consistent with typical reflected XSS attacks that can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites using Hoteller, especially those handling sensitive customer data or payment information. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix may be pending or not yet publicly available, emphasizing the need for vigilance and interim mitigations.

For European organizations, especially those in the hospitality and tourism sectors using the Hoteller theme, this vulnerability can lead to significant risks including theft of user credentials, session hijacking, and unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users. This can damage customer trust, lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR due to data breaches, and cause financial losses from fraud or remediation costs. The reflected XSS can also be leveraged to deliver further malware or phishing attacks targeting European customers. Given the widespread use of WordPress and its themes in Europe’s hotel and travel industry, the potential attack surface is considerable. Additionally, the vulnerability’s ability to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of web applications makes it a critical concern for maintaining secure online booking platforms and protecting personal data of EU citizens.

1. Apply the official patch from ThemeGoods as soon as it becomes available to address the vulnerability directly. 2. Until a patch is released, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block malicious input patterns associated with reflected XSS attacks targeting Hoteller. 3. Enforce strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data, especially URL parameters and form inputs, to prevent script injection. 4. Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of potential XSS payloads. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of clicking on suspicious links and encourage the use of security-aware browsing practices. 6. Regularly audit and monitor web server logs for unusual request patterns indicative of attempted exploitation. 7. Consider temporary disabling or replacing the Hoteller theme with a secure alternative if patching is delayed and risk is high.