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CVE Record

CVE-2025-5540: Event RSVP and Simple Event Management Plugin <= 4.1.0 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting

The Event RSVP and Simple Event Management Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'emd_mb_meta' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

MediumCVSS 6.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

An authenticated WordPress user with Contributor rights or higher can store malicious script content through the plugin’s emd_mb_meta shortcode. The script runs when someone visits the affected page. This could expose browser-held information or alter displayed content. The issue affects versions through 4.1.0 and has a CVSS score of 6.4.

Executive priority

Treat this as a moderate remediation priority. Accelerate action on public sites with many content contributors, weak account controls, sensitive administrative users, or valuable authenticated sessions. The authenticated-access requirement limits exposure, but stored execution can repeatedly affect visitors and may persist in existing content.

Technical view

CVE-2025-5540 is stored cross-site scripting (CWE-79) caused by insufficient sanitization and output escaping of user-controlled emd_mb_meta shortcode attributes. Network-reachable, low-complexity abuse requires a low-privileged authenticated account. The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates changed scope, low confidentiality and integrity impact, and no availability impact.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running Event RSVP and Simple Event Management Plugin version 4.1.0 or earlier. Risk is higher where Contributor-or-higher accounts are numerous, shared, weakly protected, or potentially compromised, and where users visit content containing the affected shortcode.

Exploitation context

The supplied sources do not report active exploitation, and the supplied record marks the CVE as absent from KEV. Exploitation requires authenticated Contributor-or-higher access, reducing broad internet-scale likelihood. Stored script content may remain in affected pages until administrators remove it, even after software remediation.

Researcher notes

The sources clearly describe the vulnerable boundary, privilege requirement, shortcode, and root cause, but do not name a confirmed fixed release. The referenced WordPress changeset may reflect remediation work, although its release mapping is not established in the bundle. Previously stored content should be reviewed independently of updating or deactivating the plugin.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory WordPress instances running the plugin at version 4.1.0 or earlier.
  • Check vendor guidance for a release explicitly confirmed to address CVE-2025-5540.
  • Apply the vendor-confirmed fixed release when identified.
  • Until confirmed fixed, deactivate the plugin where feasible or restrict untrusted Contributor access.
  • Review and remove suspicious emd_mb_meta shortcode attributes from existing content.

Validation and detection

  • Verify the plugin version and active status across every WordPress environment.
  • Search posts and pages for emd_mb_meta shortcode usage and review its attributes.
  • Audit Contributor-or-higher accounts and their recent content changes.
  • Confirm remediated pages no longer produce unexpected browser-side script execution.
  • Continue reviewing vendor guidance until the fixed-version boundary is confirmed.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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 · medium confidence lookup

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.

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-5540 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.4 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Official CVE source material

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.

1CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
1ADP providers
4Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We 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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.4CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N3.12.7Wordfence

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

6.4Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-5540Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. Source timelineWordfence

    Disclosed

  3. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  4. Source timelineWordfence

    Vendor Notified

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
emarket-designEvent RSVP and Simple Event Management Plugin0unaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-79

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-79 · source CWE mapping

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.

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