CVE-2026-0693: Allow HTML in Category Descriptions (WordPress plugin) · Cross-site Scripting
Affects Allow HTML in Category Descriptions (WordPress plugin)Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.4 Medium.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 14 Feb 2026
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 |
|---|---|---|
| arnoesterhuizenAllow HTML in Category Descriptions | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Until a fix is available, restrict administrator access to trusted users only and consider disabling or replacing the plugin in multi-site or unfiltered_html-disabled environments. Monitor official vendor channels for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability.
Description
The Allow HTML in Category Descriptions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via category descriptions in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.4. This is due to the plugin unconditionally removing the `wp_kses_data` output filter for term_description, link_description, link_notes, and user_description fields without checking user capabilities. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in category descriptions that will execute whenever a user accesses a page where the category description is displayed. This only affects multi-site installations and installations where unfiltered_html has been disabled.
References
- wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/b63c9a5a-fa3e-46c7-9d9c-7c209fc5713a?source=cve (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/allow-html-in-category-descriptions/trunk/html-in-category-descriptions.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/allow-html-in-category-descriptions/tags/1.2.4/html-in-category-descriptions.php (opens in a new tab)