CVE-2025-7725 — HIGH (CVSS 7.2) AI Security Vulnerability

CISO Take

Any WordPress site running Contest Gallery with OpenAI integration is exposed to unauthenticated stored XSS that can harvest admin sessions and OpenAI API keys. Update to version 26.1.1+ immediately or disable the plugin. Rotate your OpenAI API key as a precaution if this plugin is deployed in your environment.

Risk Assessment

High risk. The vulnerability requires no authentication, no user interaction from the attacker side, and carries a scope change — impact extends beyond the plugin itself. The amplified risk in AI environments is post-exploitation: a stolen OpenAI API key means unauthorized API usage costs, potential exposure of data processed through the AI features, and possible pivoting to broader WordPress admin compromise. With CVSS 7.2, UI:N (self-executing on page load), and WordPress's massive deployment footprint, the exposure surface is significant despite C:L/I:L ratings.

Severity & Risk

CVSS 3.1

7.2 / 10

EPSS

0.3%

chance of exploitation in 30 days

Higher than 52% of all CVEs

Source: EPSS v3 — FIRST.org

Exploitation Status

No known exploitation

Sophistication

Trivial

Attack Surface

AV Network

AC Low

PR None

UI None

S Changed

C Low

I Low

A None

Recommended Action

6 steps

Patch immediately: upgrade Contest Gallery to version > 26.1.0 via WordPress plugin dashboard.
If patching is not immediately feasible, disable the plugin and display a maintenance notice.
Rotate your OpenAI API key in the OpenAI dashboard and update the plugin configuration post-patching.
Review WordPress and web server logs for suspicious comment submissions containing script tags, event handlers, or base64-encoded payloads.
Deploy a WAF rule (Wordfence, Cloudflare) to block XSS patterns in comment fields as a temporary compensating control.
Audit which WordPress users have admin access to plugin configuration to minimize blast radius if exploitation occurred.

CISA SSVC Assessment

Decision Track

Exploitation none

Automatable No

Technical Impact partial

Source: CISA Vulnrichment (SSVC v2.0). Decision based on the CISA Coordinator decision tree.

Classification

Data Extraction Code Execution Plugin API AML.T0048.003 - User Harm AML.T0049 - Exploit Public-Facing Application AML.T0055 - Unsecured Credentials AML.T0093 - Prompt Infiltration via Public-Facing Application

Compliance Impact

This CVE is relevant to:

EU AI Act

Art.15 - Accuracy, robustness and cybersecurity

ISO 42001

A.6.1 - Policies for information security

NIST AI RMF

MANAGE-2.2 - Mechanisms to sustain the value of deployed AI systems

OWASP LLM Top 10

LLM02 - Insecure Output Handling LLM06 - Sensitive Information Disclosure

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-7725?

Any WordPress site running Contest Gallery with OpenAI integration is exposed to unauthenticated stored XSS that can harvest admin sessions and OpenAI API keys. Update to version 26.1.1+ immediately or disable the plugin. Rotate your OpenAI API key as a precaution if this plugin is deployed in your environment.

Is CVE-2025-7725 actively exploited?

No confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2025-7725 has been reported, but organizations should still patch proactively.

How to fix CVE-2025-7725?

1. Patch immediately: upgrade Contest Gallery to version > 26.1.0 via WordPress plugin dashboard. 2. If patching is not immediately feasible, disable the plugin and display a maintenance notice. 3. Rotate your OpenAI API key in the OpenAI dashboard and update the plugin configuration post-patching. 4. Review WordPress and web server logs for suspicious comment submissions containing script tags, event handlers, or base64-encoded payloads. 5. Deploy a WAF rule (Wordfence, Cloudflare) to block XSS patterns in comment fields as a temporary compensating control. 6. Audit which WordPress users have admin access to plugin configuration to minimize blast radius if exploitation occurred.

What systems are affected by CVE-2025-7725?

This vulnerability affects the following AI/ML architecture patterns: WordPress AI plugins, LLM API integrations, Web applications with embedded AI features, OpenAI API consumers.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-7725?

CVE-2025-7725 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (HIGH). The EPSS exploitation probability is 0.29%.

Technical Details

NVD Description

The Photos, Files, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Ecommerce Contest Gallery – Upload, Vote, Sell via PayPal or Stripe, Social Share Buttons, OpenAI plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the comment feature in all versions up to, and including, 26.1.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

Exploitation Scenario

An unauthenticated attacker submits a crafted comment to a Contest Gallery-enabled page containing a JavaScript payload — for example, a cookie-stealing script or a routine that reads the OpenAI API key from the plugin's JavaScript configuration object and exfiltrates it via a beacon request to an attacker-controlled server. The payload is stored without sanitization. When a WordPress administrator reviews submissions or simply visits the page, the script executes silently in their browser session, harvesting the session cookie and any API credentials in scope. The attacker then uses the stolen OpenAI API key to run unauthorized queries at the victim's expense or leverages the admin session to backdoor the WordPress installation.