Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconIdentify WordPress site running Business Directory ≤ 6.4.25
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DeliveryCraft URL embedding XSS payload in vulnerable plugin parameter
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ExploitDeliver link to privileged user via phishing or social engineering
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InstallVictim clicks link and browser requests crafted URL
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C2WordPress renders Business Directory response with injected script
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ExecuteScript executes in victim browser session
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ImpactExfiltrate session cookie or perform authenticated actions as victim
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Output encoding, context-aware escaping
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | The attacker requires no account or authentication on the target WordPress installation (PR:N confirmed by CVSS vector). The target site must be running the Business Directory plugin by Strategy11 Team in version 6.4.25 or earlier. Successful exploitation requires a victim - ideally a privileged WordPress user such as an administrator - to be socially engineered into clicking a maliciously crafted URL (UI:R confirmed by CVSS vector). The attack is limited by this required user interaction: passive drive-by exploitation without victim action is not possible under the reflected XSS model. There is no indication that any non-default plugin configuration is required; the vulnerable input appears to be accessible via standard public-facing plugin functionality. The specific parameter or endpoint containing the unsanitized reflection point is not named in the available data. |
| Impact | The CVSS 7.1 High score is driven by network reachability (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no required attacker privileges (PR:N), and a scope change (S:C) - all of which are genuine risk amplifiers. The single meaningful friction point is user interaction (UI:R): a victim must follow a crafted link, which limits the attack to phishing or social engineering delivery rather than fully passive exploitation. No EPSS data was supplied, and no KEV listing exists, so probability of observed mass exploitation in the wild is unconfirmed. The combination of PR:N and a WordPress plugin surface makes this accessible to unsophisticated attackers who can construct a simple reflected XSS payload, meaning even a mid-sized municipal IT team in zabrze running a public-facing business directory should treat remediation as urgent rather than deferring to a routine patch cycle. The A:L metric in the official CVSS vector is atypical for a reflected XSS and may reflect a specific denial-of-service angle not elaborated in the description; this should be verified against the Patchstack advisory for clarity. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker identifies a WordPress site running Business Directory ≤ 6.25 via passive reconnaissance, crafts a URL embedding a JavaScript payload in a vulnerable query parameter, then delivers the link to a site administrator or logged-in user via email, social media, or a forum post. When the victim clicks the link, their browser renders the plugin's response containing the injected script, which silently exfiltrates the victim's WordPress session cookie to an attacker-controlled server, granting the attacker authenticated access to the WordPress backend. No public proof-of-concept exploit has been identified at time of analysis, but the low complexity rating indicates the attack requires only basic XSS knowledge. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 13, 2026
Unauthenticated XSS in the Business Directory WordPress plugin (versions ≤ 6.4.25, by Strategy11 Team) permits remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript in a victim's browser by luring them to visit a crafted URL - no account or privilege on the target site is required from the attacker. The CVSS scope-change indicator (S:C) confirms that successfully executed scripts operate beyond the plugin's own boundary, giving an attacker access to the broader WordPress session context, enabling session hijacking, credential harvesting, or administrative account takeover. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and this CVE does not appear in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
RemediationAI
The primary remediation is to update the Business Directory plugin beyond version 6.4.25 via the WordPress plugin repository; consult the Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/business-directory-plugin/vulnerability/wordpress-business-directory-plugin-6-4-25-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability for the confirmed fixed release version, as no specific patched version number is confirmed in the currently available data. As an interim compensating control, site administrators can temporarily disable the Business Directory plugin if the directory functionality is non-essential, which eliminates the attack surface entirely at the cost of losing directory features. Additionally, deploying a web application firewall rule to block requests containing common XSS patterns in parameters served by the plugin's endpoints can reduce exploitation risk, though WAF rules are imperfect and bypass techniques exist. Restricting public access to directory submission or search forms to authenticated users only - if the plugin supports this configuration - would raise the attacker's bar from PR:N to at least PR:L.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation) indicates that user-supplied input is reflected back into HTML or JavaScript output without adequate encoding or sanitization. The Business Directory plugin (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:strategy11_team:business_directory:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) is a WordPress plugin developed by the Strategy11 Team that provides front-end business listing directory functionality. Because unauthenticated users can supply input - likely via search fields, listing submissions, or URL parameters exposed on public-facing directory pages - malicious script content can be embedded in responses served to other users. The S:C designation in the CVSS vector indicates the vulnerability crosses a security boundary: code injected into the plugin's output context can interact with the WordPress session, cookies, and DOM belonging to a different origin or privilege context.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
Network-delivered reflected XSS with no auth required; scope changes to browser session context; availability impact assessed as none, as XSS does not typically disrupt service.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Unauthenticated Cross Site Scripting (XSS) in Business Directory <= 6.4.25 versions.
Executive ViewAI
The Business Directory WordPress plugin (versions 6.4.25 and earlier) allows attackers to compromise administrator accounts and gain full control of WordPress installations by tricking users into clicking malicious links; no site credentials are required for attack. Organizations running this plugin face immediate risk of administrative account takeover, unauthorized data access, and complete platform compromise. Urgent mitigation is necessary to prevent loss of control over the entire WordPress installation.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include: (1) disable the Business Directory plugin entirely until vendor releases a patch-this is the most effective control; (2) implement restrictive Content Security Policy headers to prevent inline script execution; (3) deploy Web Application Firewall rules to detect and block XSS attack patterns; (4) maintain current full backups to enable rapid recovery if administrative accounts are compromised; (5) monitor WordPress user audit logs for unauthorized privilege escalation or new administrator account creation; (6) restrict plugin configuration access to verified administrative accounts only if complete disabling is operationally unfeasible.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Cross-Site Scripting occurs when an application accepts untrusted data and sends it to a web browser without proper validation or encoding.
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NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
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