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WpmlWordPress extension

CVE-2025-3488

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-05-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.7.4 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The WPML plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's wpml_language_switcher shortcode in versions 3.6.0 - 4.7.3 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The WPML plugin for WordPress contains a stored XSS vulnerability in versions 3.6.0 through 4.7.3. The wpml_language_switcher shortcode fails to properly sanitize user-supplied attributes and escape output, allowing authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious JavaScript that executes when users access affected pages.

MitigationUpdate WPML plugin to version 4.7.4 or later, or implement proper input sanitization and output escaping on the wpml_language_switcher shortcode attributes.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
WpmlWordPress extension
Affected:>= 3.6.0, < 4.7.4

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify WPML plugin version
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins, locate WPML, and read the version number displayed. Alternatively, check the plugin header in wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/readme.txt or query the database options table for the WPML version entry.
    Affected if The installed version is 3.6.0 through 4.7.3 inclusive.
  2. Verify wpml_language_switcher shortcode usage
    Search your WordPress database (wp_posts table) for occurrences of the shortcode [wpml_language_switcher] in post content, or use a plugin/search tool to scan posts, pages, and widgets for this shortcode.
    Affected if The shortcode is present in any published content.
  3. Inspect shortcode attributes in database
    Query posts containing the shortcode and examine the raw content for any custom attributes added to [wpml_language_switcher], such as link_text, flag_url, or similar user-modifiable parameters.
    Affected if The shortcode has custom attributes that could contain unsanitized user input.
  4. Confirm contributor-level user access exists
    Review WordPress user roles at Users > All Users and identify any accounts with Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator roles, as these can all access the shortcode in post editing.
    Affected if There are users with contributor-level or higher access who can edit content containing the shortcode.

You are affected if WPML version is between 3.6.0 and 4.7.3 and the wpml_language_switcher shortcode is in use on your site, allowing any authenticated contributor-level user to inject malicious scripts.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.7.4 or later
Fixed in 4.7.4
Interim mitigation

Update WPML plugin to version 4.7.4 or later, or implement proper input sanitization and output escaping on the wpml_language_switcher shortcode attributes.

Recommended fix High confidence

WPML version 4.7.4 or later

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) in the plugin list
  4. Click 'Update now' if an update is available, or manually upload version 4.7.4 or later via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  5. After updating, verify the plugin version is 4.7.4 or higher in Plugins > Installed Plugins
  6. Clear any caching plugins or server-side caches to ensure the patched code is served
Caveat Minor plugin updates rarely introduce breaking changes; ensure translations function correctly after upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Wpml Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-3488 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data