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CVE Record

CVE-2025-9878: Password Protect WordPress Lite <= 1.9.21 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting

The PPWP – Password Protect WordPress | #1 Most-Reviewed Password Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'ppwp' shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.21 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

A logged-in WordPress user with Contributor privileges or higher may place persistent script content into a PPWP shortcode. That script can run when someone visits the affected page, potentially exposing browser-accessible information or altering page behavior. The reported severity is medium (CVSS 6.4).

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation on public sites where multiple people can create content, accounts may be shared, or privileged accounts are weakly protected. Treat as a scheduled security update with accelerated handling if suspicious content or account activity exists. Emergency response is not supported by the supplied exploitation evidence alone.

Technical view

CVE-2025-9878 is stored cross-site scripting caused by insufficient sanitization and output escaping of user-controlled attributes in the PPWP shortcode. The description reports PPWP versions through 1.9.21 as vulnerable. Exploitation requires an authenticated Contributor-level or higher account, but the injected script subsequently executes when the affected page is accessed.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running the PPWP plugin through version 1.9.21 that grant untrusted or compromised accounts Contributor-level content permissions. Sites without the plugin, outside the reported version range, or without such accounts are less exposed. The bundle’s structured affected-version entry is inconsistent with its description, so inventory findings require vendor confirmation.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not identified as being in KEV. The attack requires authenticated Contributor-level access or higher, reducing initial reach. Stored execution against later page visitors makes compromised publishing accounts and broadly viewed injected pages the main risk factors.

Researcher notes

The CVSS 3.1 vector is 6.4: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges, no victim interaction requirement, changed scope, and low confidentiality and integrity impact. The description names versions through 1.9.21, while the structured affected record lists version “0” with default unaffected status. Confirm exact version boundaries and remediation from current vendor guidance.

Mitigation direction

  • Check current WordPress and plugin vendor guidance for the confirmed fixed version or mitigation.
  • Upgrade PPWP to a vendor-confirmed non-vulnerable release when available.
  • Temporarily restrict Contributor permissions and shortcode use for accounts that are not fully trusted.
  • Review and remove suspicious PPWP shortcode attributes from existing content.
  • Disable the plugin if exposure cannot be safely mitigated and business operations permit.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory WordPress sites using PPWP and record each installed version.
  • Identify accounts with Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator permissions.
  • Review content revisions and audit logs for unexpected PPWP shortcode changes.
  • After remediation, verify shortcode attributes are sanitized and safely encoded in controlled staging tests.
  • Confirm the deployed version against current vendor or WordPress plugin guidance.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

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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description · low confidence lookup

Credential and access behavior lookup

The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-9878 mapping review

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

Open ATT&CK lookup
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
6Source 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-2025-9878Attack 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

    Vendor Notified

  3. Source timelineWordfence

    Disclosed

  4. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  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
buildwpsPPWP – Password Protect Pages0unaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-79

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