Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2025-46540 affects the WordPress GNA Search Shortcode plugin through version 0.9.5. It is a stored cross-site scripting issue, meaning malicious script content could be saved and later shown to another user. The available sources rate it medium severity, with authenticated access and user interaction required.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority WordPress hygiene issue. Prioritize internet-facing sites, sites with many contributors, and sites where administrative users regularly view plugin-rendered content. Do not assume exploitation from the provided evidence.
Technical view
The CVE describes CWE-79 improper neutralization during web page generation in Chris Mok's gna-search-shortcode plugin. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.5 with network access, low attack complexity, low privileges, required user interaction, changed scope, and low confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running GNA Search Shortcode version 0.9.5 or earlier. Risk is higher where low-privileged users can submit or manage content rendered by the plugin and administrators or visitors later view affected pages.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Stored XSS can still matter because it may execute when a victim views affected content, potentially affecting sessions, page integrity, or trust in the site.
Researcher notes
The record identifies stored XSS but does not provide detailed vulnerable parameters, proof of exploitation, or confirmed patch information in the supplied bundle. Validation should focus on version exposure, role access to stored content paths, and whether rendered shortcode output is safely encoded.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the GNA Search Shortcode plugin and record installed versions.
- Check vendor, WordPress plugin, and Patchstack guidance for a fixed release or official mitigation.
- Update the plugin if a fixed version is available from a trusted source.
- Disable or remove the plugin where no maintained fixed version is available.
- Restrict plugin-related content changes to trusted roles until remediation is complete.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether each WordPress site has gna-search-shortcode installed and enabled.
- Verify installed versions are not 0.9.5 or earlier after remediation.
- Review pages using the shortcode for unexpected stored script-like content.
- Use authenticated staging testing to confirm stored input is encoded before rendering.
- Document any exception where the plugin remains active without a confirmed fix.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2025-46540 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L2.33.7PatchstackVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/gna-search-shortcode/vulnerability/wordpress-gna-search-shortcode-0-9-5-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability?_s_id=cveCVE reference, Patchstack · vdb-entry
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.