CVE-2025-8617 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the YITH WooCommerce Quick View plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 2.7.0. The vulnerability arises from insufficient sanitization and escaping of user-supplied attributes in the plugin's yith_quick_view shortcode. Specifically, authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher can inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages by manipulating shortcode attributes. Because the malicious scripts are stored persistently, they execute whenever any user accesses the compromised page, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or defacement. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.4, reflecting a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity, requiring only low privileges (contributor or above) and no user interaction. The scope is changed as the vulnerability affects other users beyond the attacker. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The root cause is improper neutralization of input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for e-commerce sites using WooCommerce with multiple contributors managing product content or pages, as it allows attackers to inject persistent malicious scripts that can compromise user sessions or site integrity.

For European organizations, especially those operating e-commerce platforms using WordPress and WooCommerce, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. An attacker with contributor-level access can inject malicious scripts that execute in the browsers of site visitors, including administrators and customers. This can lead to theft of session cookies, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, defacement of web pages, or distribution of malware. The compromise of customer data or administrative accounts can result in reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR, and financial losses. Since WooCommerce is widely used across Europe, particularly in countries with strong e-commerce markets like Germany, the UK, France, and the Netherlands, the potential impact is broad. The vulnerability does not affect availability directly but compromises confidentiality and integrity. The requirement for authenticated access limits exposure but does not eliminate risk, as contributor roles are common in content management workflows. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future attacks.

1. Monitor the YITH WooCommerce Quick View plugin for official security patches and apply updates promptly once released. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict contributor-level permissions to trusted users only and review user roles to minimize unnecessary privileges. 3. Implement additional input validation and output escaping on shortcode attributes at the application or web server level if feasible. 4. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious shortcode attribute inputs or script injections. 5. Conduct regular security audits and code reviews of custom plugins or themes that interact with the vulnerable plugin. 6. Educate content contributors about the risks of injecting untrusted content and enforce strict content submission policies. 7. Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. 8. Monitor logs for unusual activity related to shortcode usage or contributor actions. 9. Backup website data regularly to enable quick recovery in case of compromise. 10. Consider isolating or sandboxing user-generated content areas to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks.