CVE-2026-24955 is a reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting fox-themes Whizz Plugins, specifically versions up to and including 1.9. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, which allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code into web pages viewed by other users. This reflected XSS does not require authentication but does require user interaction, such as clicking a specially crafted URL. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but user interaction is necessary (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. The impact includes low confidentiality, integrity, and availability losses (C:L/I:L/A:L), such as theft of session cookies, defacement, or execution of unauthorized actions on behalf of users. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the widespread use of WordPress plugins like Whizz Plugins. The absence of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate mitigation efforts. The vulnerability was reserved on January 28, 2026, and published on February 20, 2026, with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1, categorizing it as high severity.

The reflected XSS vulnerability in Whizz Plugins can have serious consequences for organizations using affected versions. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by users, execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser. This can lead to session hijacking, enabling attackers to impersonate users and access sensitive information or perform unauthorized actions. It can also facilitate phishing attacks, malware distribution, or defacement of websites, damaging organizational reputation. The vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited but meaningful extent. Since no authentication is required, any visitor to a vulnerable site can be targeted, increasing the attack surface. Organizations relying on Whizz Plugins for WordPress sites, especially those handling sensitive user data or providing critical services, face increased risk of data breaches and operational disruption. The lack of known exploits in the wild suggests a window for proactive mitigation before widespread exploitation occurs.

1. Monitor for official patches or updates from fox-themes and apply them immediately once available to remediate the vulnerability. 2. Implement strict input validation on all user-supplied data to ensure that malicious scripts cannot be injected. 3. Employ context-sensitive output encoding/escaping techniques when rendering user input in web pages to neutralize potentially harmful characters. 4. Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 5. Educate users to avoid clicking suspicious or untrusted links, especially those received via email or social media. 6. Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews of plugins and custom themes to detect similar vulnerabilities early. 7. Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting Whizz Plugins. 8. Isolate critical administrative interfaces and enforce multi-factor authentication to limit the damage if an XSS attack leads to session compromise.