Executive Summary

CVE-2019-25744 is a persistent cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WordPress Popup Builder plugin version 3.49 and earlier. It allows authenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts by exploiting improper input handling in the post_title parameter. Attackers can send crafted POST requests to the post.php endpoint with script payloads embedded in the post_title field. These scripts then execute when pages or posts display popup selections, potentially affecting users who view those pages.

The vulnerability arises because the plugin does not properly sanitize or escape user input in popup titles, allowing attackers to break out of HTML option tags and inject executable JavaScript code.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can impact you by allowing attackers with authenticated access to inject malicious scripts into your WordPress site through popup titles. When other users view pages or posts containing these popups, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers.

• Execution of arbitrary JavaScript in users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking or unauthorized actions.
• Data theft or exposure of sensitive information from users interacting with the affected pages.
• Further compromise of the WordPress site by leveraging the injected scripts to escalate privileges or install additional malware.

Because the vulnerability requires authenticated access, attackers typically need at least standard user privileges, but the impact can be significant if exploited.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring for crafted POST requests to the post.php endpoint that include suspicious script payloads in the post_title parameter.

One way to detect exploitation attempts is to inspect HTTP POST requests targeting post.php for unusual or script-containing values in the post_title field.

For example, you can use network traffic analysis tools or web server logs to search for POST requests with payloads containing script tags or suspicious characters such as "/><script>" in the post_title parameter.

• Using command-line tools like grep on web server logs: grep -i 'post_title=.*<script' /path/to/access.log
• Using curl to simulate a crafted POST request to test detection: curl -X POST -d 'post_title="/><script>alert(1)</script>' https://yourwordpresssite.com/wp-admin/post.php

Additionally, monitoring the WordPress admin interface for unexpected popup titles containing script tags or unusual characters can help identify stored XSS payloads.

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Mitigation Strategies

The primary immediate mitigation step is to update the Popup Builder WordPress plugin to version 3.65.3 or later, where this vulnerability has been patched.

Until the update can be applied, restrict administrative access to trusted users only, as the vulnerability requires authenticated access to exploit.

Additionally, review and sanitize any popup titles in the WordPress admin interface to remove any suspicious or malicious script content.

Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block POST requests containing script tags or suspicious payloads targeting the post.php endpoint.

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Compliance Impact

The provided information does not specify how the CVE-2019-25744 vulnerability in WordPress Popup Builder affects compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.

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