CVE-2024-8981: Broken Link Checker (WordPress plugin) · Basic XSS
Affects Broken Link Checker (WordPress plugin)Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 42% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:LExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Oct 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| wpmudev Broken Link Checker | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Users should monitor the vendor's advisory channels for updates. Until a fix is released, avoid clicking on suspicious links related to the affected plugin and consider disabling or removing the Broken Link Checker plugin if feasible to reduce risk.
Description
The Broken Link Checker plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting due to the use of add_query_arg in /app/admin-notices/features/class-view.php without appropriate escaping on the URL in all versions up to, and including, 2.4.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that execute if they can successfully trick a user into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
References
- wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/429fe34a-5fa9-4032-9b21-4de114dbc9d1?source=cve (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3159860/broken-link-checker/trunk/app/admin-notices/features/class-view.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/broken-link-checker/tags/2.4.0/app/admin-notices/features/class-view.php (opens in a new tab)