Security Alert Summary
The Essential Widgets plugin for WordPress contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in several shortcodes that allows authenticated users with contributor-level access and above to inject arbitrary JavaScript into pages. The injected script executes when a visitor or a user views the affected page. The CVE entry notes this was partially fixed in version 3.0; a fully fixed version is not specified in the CVE entry.
CVE Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2026-0867
- Affected component: Essential Widgets plugin for WordPress
- Affected versions: All versions up to and including 3.0
- Published: February 5, 2026 at 07:16:17 AM UTC
- Last modified: February 5, 2026 at 02:57:20 PM UTC
- CVSS v3.1: Base Score 6.4, Severity MEDIUM
- Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Attack Vector: NETWORK
- Attack Complexity: LOW
- Privileges Required: LOW (authenticated contributor-level or higher)
- User Interaction: NONE
- Scope: CHANGED
- Confidentiality Impact: LOW
- Integrity Impact: LOW
- Availability Impact: NONE
- Vector:
- CWE / Weakness: CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting)
Technical Details
The vulnerability is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue caused by insufficient input sanitization and output escaping of user-supplied attributes. The CVE description identifies the plugin shortcodes ew-author, ew-archive, ew-category, ew-page, and ew-menu as being affected. Because these shortcodes accept attributes from authenticated users and do not properly sanitize or escape those attributes before rendering, an attacker with contributor-level access (or higher) can inject arbitrary web scripts that are persisted and executed when the page is viewed.
The impact described in the CVE is the execution of attacker-supplied scripts in the context of pages containing the injected shortcode output. The entry notes the vulnerability was partially fixed in version 3.0; the CVE does not specify whether a complete fix is available in a later version.
How This Could Impact Your Website
Consider a site with multiple users: a site owner, editorial staff, and external contributors. A contributor could craft a shortcode attribute containing malicious JavaScript and save it into a post or widget area. When editors, administrators, or regular visitors view that page, the script could execute in their browsers. Practical consequences include limited data exposure (for example, information accessible to the victim user within the browser session), unauthorized actions performed in the context of the viewing user, and an increased risk of targeted phishing or social engineering based on information gathered through the injected script.
This vulnerability’s confidentiality and integrity impacts are rated as LOW in the CVSS data, and availability is not affected; it does not, based on the provided information, imply an unauthenticated remote takeover of the site. If you’re unsure whether your site is affected or how to assess your current user roles and plugins, it may be worth having a professional review.
Recommended Actions
- Update the affected plugin as soon as a patched version is available. Note: the CVE entry indicates a partial fix in version 3.0; a fully patched version is not specified in the CVE entry.
- Review and reduce unnecessary user roles, especially contributor-level access for users who do not need it.
- Enforce strong passwords and two-factor authentication for editors and administrators.
- Remove unused or unmaintained plugins from the site.
- Monitor site activity and logs for unusual behavior, particularly changes to posts, widgets, and shortcode usage.
If you’d like help reviewing your plugins, user roles, or overall WordPress security posture, our team at Freshy is happy to help.
