CVE-2025-6988 is a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified in the KALLYAS WordPress theme, a popular multi-purpose eCommerce theme developed by hogash. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), specifically due to insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes in several shortcodes provided by the theme. This flaw allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level privileges or higher to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages. Because the injected scripts are stored persistently in the website content, they execute in the context of any user who visits the affected pages, including administrators and other privileged users. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 4.23.0. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.4, reflecting a medium severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, and requiring privileges but no user interaction. The impact primarily compromises confidentiality and integrity by enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users. Availability is not impacted. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the presence of the vulnerability in a widely used theme makes it a significant risk. The lack of a patch link suggests that remediation may still be pending or that users must apply manual mitigations. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for eCommerce sites relying on KALLYAS, where malicious scripts could lead to customer data theft or fraudulent transactions.

For European organizations, especially those operating eCommerce websites using the KALLYAS WordPress theme, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to customer data confidentiality and website integrity. Attackers with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors and administrators, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, or unauthorized administrative actions. This could result in reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR for data breaches, and financial losses from fraud or downtime caused by remediation efforts. Since contributors can be internal staff or third-party content creators, the risk of insider threats or compromised accounts is also notable. The vulnerability does not directly affect availability, but indirect impacts such as site defacement or loss of customer trust could reduce business continuity. European organizations with strict data protection requirements must prioritize addressing this vulnerability to avoid compliance violations and maintain customer trust.

1. Immediately restrict contributor-level permissions to trusted users only and review existing contributor accounts for suspicious activity. 2. Monitor and audit all user-generated content, especially shortcode inputs, for suspicious or unexpected scripts. 3. Apply strict input validation and output encoding at the application or web server level as an interim measure until an official patch is available. 4. Keep the KALLYAS theme updated and apply vendor patches promptly once released. 5. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block malicious script injections targeting shortcode parameters. 6. Educate content contributors about secure content practices and the risks of injecting scripts. 7. Consider using security plugins that can detect and sanitize XSS payloads in WordPress content. 8. Regularly back up website data to enable quick recovery in case of compromise. 9. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 10. Conduct periodic security assessments and penetration testing focused on user input handling in WordPress themes and plugins.