CVE-2026-1649 identifies a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Community Events plugin for WordPress, developed by jackdewey. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.5.7 and is caused by insufficient sanitization and escaping of the 'ce_venue_name' parameter during web page generation. Specifically, the plugin fails to properly neutralize malicious input submitted via this parameter, allowing an attacker with administrator-level access to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into pages generated by the plugin. Because the injected scripts are stored persistently, they execute whenever any user views the affected page, potentially compromising user sessions, stealing cookies, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of users. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have authenticated administrator privileges, which limits the attack surface but increases the risk if such credentials are compromised or misused. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.4 (medium), reflecting network attack vector, high attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, and partial confidentiality and integrity impact without availability impact. No public exploits are currently known, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), a common web application security flaw. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments to manage community event information, making this vulnerability relevant to many websites that rely on this functionality.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized script execution within trusted websites, potentially compromising user credentials, session tokens, or enabling further attacks such as privilege escalation or phishing. Organizations that use the Community Events plugin on WordPress sites—especially those with multiple administrators or public-facing event pages—face risks of data leakage and reputational damage. Although exploitation requires administrator access, insider threats or compromised admin accounts could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious code affecting all site visitors. This could disrupt business operations, erode user trust, and expose sensitive information. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe and the popularity of event management plugins, the vulnerability could impact sectors such as local government, cultural institutions, and community organizations that rely on these tools to engage with the public. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability remains a significant concern until patched.

1. Monitor the Community Events plugin repository and official channels for security patches and apply updates promptly once available. 2. Until a patch is released, restrict administrator-level access to only trusted personnel and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting the 'ce_venue_name' parameter. 4. Conduct manual code reviews or apply custom input validation and output encoding for the affected parameter to neutralize potentially malicious scripts. 5. Regularly audit administrator activities and monitor logs for unusual behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. 6. Educate administrators about the risks of XSS and the importance of cautious input handling. 7. Consider isolating or disabling the Community Events plugin if it is not critical to operations until a secure version is available. 8. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the impact of injected scripts by restricting script sources and execution contexts.