Administrator-level stored XSS via unsanitized image option
Published Jan 16, 2024 · Updated Jun 17, 2025
Stored XSS in WP-PostRatings before 1.86.1 allows remote authenticated users to execute scripts via the postratings_image option. The Ratings options page stores postratings_image without sanitization, and rating markup emits the value without output escaping. Administrator access and a valid nonce are required; exploitation remains possible when unfiltered_html is disabled, and scripts run when a user loads an injected page.
Summary
What happened
Stored XSS in WP-PostRatings before 1.86.1 allows remote authenticated users to execute scripts via the postratings_image option. The Ratings options page stores postratings_image without sanitization, and rating markup emits the value without output escaping. Administrator access and a valid nonce are required; exploitation remains possible when unfiltered_html is disabled, and scripts run when a user loads an injected page.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-25117
- Published
- Jan 16, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2025
- Vendor
- Lester 'GaMerZ' Chan
- Product
- WP-PostRatings
- Classifications
- CWE-79, T1059.007
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 16, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 17, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <1.86.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Exploit-DB WP-PostRatings 1.86 postratings_image XSSproof of concept · demonstrated
- WPScan postratings_image stored-XSS proof of conceptproof of concept · validated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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