# CVE-2025-23502: WordPress Curated Search plugin <= 1.2 - CSRF to Stored XSS vulnerability

> A CSRF vulnerability in the Curated Search WordPress plugin allows attackers to inject malicious scripts, leading to stored XSS and potential account takeover.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rfwh-qxvm-5m8j

## What is CVE-2025-23502?

CVE-2025-23502 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ned Curated Search, published on 3 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Ned Curated Search curated-search allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Curated Search: from n/a through <= 1.2.

Weakness: CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-23502?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-23502?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-23502 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-23502 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-23502 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-23502 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-23502 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ned Curated Search, published on 3 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-23502 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ned Curated Search. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23502/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23502/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-23502
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-23502
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-23502

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23502/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.