CVE-2025-5730 – Easy Contact Form Lite < 1.1.29 – Contributor+ Stored XSS

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) remains one of the most prevalent and dangerous vulnerabilities affecting WordPress plugins, especially those that allow user-generated content. In the Easy Contact Form Lite plugin (versions prior to 1.1.29), a stored XSS vulnerability was discovered that allows Contributor-level users to inject persistent JavaScript into the form’s placeholder field. This can lead to session hijacking, site defacement, and privilege escalation attacks if exploited by a malicious user.

CVE	CVE-2025-5730
Plugin	Contact Form Plugin < 1.1.29
Critical	High
All Time	966 278
Active installations	3 000+
Publicly Published	June 10, 2025
Last Updated	June 10, 2025
Researcher	Artyom Krugov
OWASP TOP-10	A7: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
PoC	Yes
Exploit	No
Reference	https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/e1e7f423-f981-413c-a99a-e5927fc1cd0c/ https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2025-5730
Plugin Security Certification by CleanTalk
Logo of the plugin

Join the community of developers who prioritize security. Highlight your plugin in the WordPress catalog.

Get Plugin Security Certificate

PSC by Cleantalk

Timeline

Discovery of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability was identified during a security review of Easy Contact Form Lite — a widely-used plugin that enables users to build and deploy custom contact forms using a drag-and-drop interface.

In versions below 1.1.29, Contributor-level users could add malicious HTML or JavaScript into the Placeholder attribute of form input fields. The input was neither sanitized on save nor properly escaped on output, leading to direct execution of malicious code when the form was viewed by higher-privileged users, such as Editors or Administrators.

Understanding of XSS attack’s

XSS is one of the most prevalent vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins due to the dynamic content model and reliance on user-generated input. In WordPress, roles such as Editor or Author can be dangerous if unfiltered_html is not properly managed, as they can potentially input script-based payloads. Real-world scenarios show that such stored XSS vulnerabilities are often exploited for malicious purposes such as stealing cookies, injecting keyloggers, or creating admin backdoors by manipulating WordPress REST APIs.

Exploiting the XSS Vulnerability

To exploit CVE-2025-3583, an attacker with editor+ privileges:

POC:

1)Log in as a Contributor user.
2)Navigate to the Easy Form tab in the dashboard.
3)Click Add New Item and select any available form template.
4)In any form field, locate the Placeholder setting.
5)Insert the following payload:
'</div><img src=x onerror=alert(1)>
6) Save and preview or publish the form.
7) When the form is loaded by an admin or viewed in the frontend, the JavaScript executes.

____

Stored XSS refers to a scenario where malicious scripts are saved permanently within the website’s content or configuration and executed whenever the content is viewed. This is especially dangerous in multi-user environments like WordPress, where users with limited privileges may still have access to features that output content to the frontend or admin areas.

In this case, the Placeholder field in Easy Contact Form Lite acts as a vector for persistent script injection because it is rendered directly into the HTML without escaping.

Recommendations for Improved Security

For Plugin Developers:

• Sanitize Input: All form builder fields, especially user-editable attributes like placeholders, must be sanitized using sanitize_text_field() or wp_kses().
• Escape Output: All dynamic values rendered in HTML should be properly escaped using esc_attr() or esc_html().
• Review Permissions: Limit access to form customization features for low-privileged roles.

For WordPress Site Administrators:

• Update Plugin: Upgrade to version 1.1.29 or higher immediately, where this vulnerability is patched.
• Restrict Contributor Capabilities: Avoid assigning form-building privileges to contributors unless necessary.
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF): Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri can detect and block suspicious XSS attempts.
• Monitor User Activity: Regularly audit actions performed by non-admin users.
• Educate Content Creators: Train your contributors to recognize and avoid injecting potentially dangerous HTML or JavaScript.

To prevent this type of attacks vendor used our methods of prevention.

By taking proactive measures to address Stored XSS vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-5730, WordPress website owners can enhance their security posture and safeguard against potential exploitation. Stay vigilant, stay secure.

#WordPressSecurity #StoredXSS #WebsiteSafety #StayProtected #HighVulnerability

Use CleanTalk solutions to improve the security of your website

Artyom k.