EUVD-2025-209044
GHSA-cph7-rc62-v42q
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L
Lifecycle Timeline
4Description
The Responsive Plus WordPress plugin before 3.4.3 is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution due to the software allowing unauthenticated users to execute the update_responsive_woo_free_shipping_left_shortcode AJAX action that does not properly validate the content_rech_data parameter before processing it as a shortcode.
Analysis
The Responsive Plus WordPress plugin before version 3.4.3 contains an arbitrary shortcode execution vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute malicious shortcodes through the update_responsive_woo_free_shipping_left_shortcode AJAX action. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of the content_rech_data parameter before processing it as a shortcode, effectively enabling remote code execution in the context of the WordPress installation. A public proof-of-concept exploit is available via WPScan, and this vulnerability poses an immediate threat to all unpatched installations of the affected plugin versions.
Technical Context
The vulnerability exists in the WordPress plugin ecosystem, specifically targeting the Responsive Plus plugin (cpe:2.3:a:unknown:responsive_plus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*). The root cause is improper input validation on user-supplied data passed to WordPress shortcode processing functions. WordPress shortcodes are a templating mechanism that executes PHP callbacks, and when user input is directly processed as shortcode content without sanitization, attackers can inject malicious shortcode syntax. The vulnerable AJAX action update_responsive_woo_free_shipping_left_shortcode does not implement proper access controls (allowing unauthenticated execution) or input validation (allowing unsanitized shortcode processing), violating fundamental secure coding practices. This represents a classic case of insufficient input validation combined with insecure AJAX action exposure.
Affected Products
The Responsive Plus WordPress plugin in all versions prior to 3.4.3 is vulnerable, as confirmed through the CPE identifier cpe:2.3:a:unknown:responsive_plus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*. The vulnerability has been documented and catalogued by WPScan vulnerability tracking at https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/80ce0f88-3065-48c4-a491-b70e067ce4d7/. Any WordPress installation with Responsive Plus version 3.4.2 or earlier is affected and requires immediate attention.
Remediation
Upgrade the Responsive Plus plugin to version 3.4.3 or later immediately through the WordPress plugin management interface or directly from the plugin repository. Verify the upgrade completion by checking the plugin version in the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins. As a temporary mitigation prior to patching, disable the Responsive Plus plugin entirely and replace its functionality with alternative plugins, or restrict AJAX requests to the vulnerable action through a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule that blocks requests to update_responsive_woo_free_shipping_left_shortcode from unauthenticated users. After patching, audit WordPress logs and database for signs of exploitation, including suspicious shortcode usage in post content or transients.
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today