CVE-2025-0522 - How a Dangerous CSRF and XSS Combo Threatens LikeBot Plugin for WordPress

Published: June 2024
*By: SecureWP Insights Team*


The world of WordPress security is never dull, and now, a new vulnerability has surfaced that could endanger thousands of sites using a simple, yet popular plugin: LikeBot. Tracked as CVE-2025-0522, this flaw is a great reminder of how even small oversights in security practices can spell trouble.

If you’re a WordPress user or developer, especially if you use or manage the LikeBot plugin (versions through .85), keep reading. We'll break down what this flaw is, how attackers could exploit it, and what you should do about it.

What Is CVE-2025-0522?

LikeBot is a plugin that lets visitors "like" posts and pages, boosting engagement. But, according to recent findings, it misses two key web security checks:

Lack of input sanitization or output escaping, opening the door for XSS (Cross-Site Scripting).

In short: An attacker can trick a logged-in admin to run a specially crafted link or page, which plants a malicious script on the site—one that runs for everyone who visits. This is what’s called a Stored XSS via CSRF attack.

Create a malicious web page or email.

The attacker crafts a CSRF payload that submits a request to the LikeBot plugin’s vulnerable endpoint, including a JavaScript XSS payload.

Target a logged-in WordPress admin.

Only someone who can change plugin settings (usually admins) is a target. The attacker lures them to visit the crafted link or open a malicious email.

Execute the CSRF + XSS.

Because of missing CSRF protections, the forged request is accepted—no questions asked.
Because of missing input sanitization and output escaping, the payload (JavaScript) is saved and will run for any user who views it.

Below is an example (simplified for clarity) of a vulnerable function in LikeBot T

// vulnerable-likebot-code.php (simplified example)
if (isset($_POST['likebot_custom_message'])) {
    $custom_msg = $_POST['likebot_custom_message'];
    update_option('likebot_custom_message', $custom_msg);
}

Example Exploit Payload

Suppose the plugin lets admins set a "Custom Message" that appears to site users. An attacker could submit this via a forged request:

<form action="https://targetsite.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=likebot-settings"; method="POST">
    <input type="hidden" name="likebot_custom_message" value="<script>alert('XSS');</script>">
    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

How it works:
When a logged-in admin visits this attacker's page (or an email auto-submits the form), the request runs without any CSRF check. The message is saved—complete with script tags. Anyone visiting the part of the site that displays this message will have the script run in their browser.

Update Immediately:

Check for a LikeBot update fixing CVE-2025-0522. If not available, disable the plugin.

Check and Clean Up:

Inspect plugin settings for suspicious scripts. Remove anything odd.

if (isset($_POST['likebot_custom_message'])) {

// CSRF check

check_admin_referer('likebot-options');

// Sanitize input

update_option('likebot_custom_message', $custom_msg);

}

Block Exploit Attempts:

Use a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to detect and block malicious requests.

References & More Reading

- Official Plugin Page
- WPScan CVE Entry
- OWASP: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
- OWASP: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- WordPress Codex: Data Validation

Conclusion

CVE-2025-0522 is a textbook example of how missing security basics can stack up into a real threat. If you’re running the LikeBot plugin, patch immediately, and remember: input validation, output escaping, and CSRF protection are must-haves for any WordPress plugin.

Stay safe and secure your site!

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Timeline

Published on: 02/06/2025 06:15:30 UTC
Last modified on: 03/14/2025 17:15:50 UTC