CVE-2026-4073: CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in dougblackjr pdfl.io
The pdfl. io WordPress plugin up to version 1. 0. 5 contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability via the 'pdflio' shortcode's 'text' attribute. This occurs because user input is not properly sanitized or escaped before being output in HTML, allowing authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts. These scripts execute whenever any user views the affected page. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6. 4, indicating a medium severity level. No official patch or remediation guidance is currently available from the vendor.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-4073 is a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the pdfl.io WordPress plugin caused by improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79). The vulnerability arises because the output_shortcode() function directly concatenates the user-supplied 'text' attribute into HTML output without applying escaping functions such as esc_html(). Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute in the context of users visiting the injected pages. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, scope change, and limited confidentiality and integrity impact without availability impact.
Potential Impact
An attacker with Contributor-level or higher access can inject persistent malicious scripts into pages via the vulnerable shortcode attribute. These scripts execute in the browsers of users who view the infected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or other client-side attacks. The vulnerability affects confidentiality and integrity but does not impact availability. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, restrict Contributor-level access to trusted users only and consider disabling or removing the pdfl.io plugin if possible. Monitor for updates from the vendor or WordPress plugin repository for a security patch addressing this issue.
CVE-2026-4073: CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in dougblackjr pdfl.io
Description
The pdfl. io WordPress plugin up to version 1. 0. 5 contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability via the 'pdflio' shortcode's 'text' attribute. This occurs because user input is not properly sanitized or escaped before being output in HTML, allowing authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts. These scripts execute whenever any user views the affected page. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6. 4, indicating a medium severity level. No official patch or remediation guidance is currently available from the vendor.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-4073 is a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the pdfl.io WordPress plugin caused by improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79). The vulnerability arises because the output_shortcode() function directly concatenates the user-supplied 'text' attribute into HTML output without applying escaping functions such as esc_html(). Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute in the context of users visiting the injected pages. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.4 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, scope change, and limited confidentiality and integrity impact without availability impact.
Potential Impact
An attacker with Contributor-level or higher access can inject persistent malicious scripts into pages via the vulnerable shortcode attribute. These scripts execute in the browsers of users who view the infected pages, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or other client-side attacks. The vulnerability affects confidentiality and integrity but does not impact availability. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, restrict Contributor-level access to trusted users only and consider disabling or removing the pdfl.io plugin if possible. Monitor for updates from the vendor or WordPress plugin repository for a security patch addressing this issue.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Wordfence
- Date Reserved
- 2026-03-12T19:50:33.445Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69d6330f1cc7ad14da5fcea8
Added to database: 4/8/2026, 10:50:55 AM
Last enriched: 4/15/2026, 3:51:05 PM
Last updated: 5/23/2026, 6:24:29 PM
Views: 75
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