Security Alert Summary
The Events Listing Widget plugin for WordPress contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the plugin’s handling of the “Event URL” parameter. Authenticated users with Author-level access and above can inject arbitrary scripts that will execute when a visitor or other user views an injected page.
CVE Details
- CVE ID:
CVE-2026-1252 - Affected component: Events Listing Widget plugin for WordPress
- Affected versions: All versions up to, and including, 1.3.4
- Published: February 6, 2026 at 9:15:47 AM UTC
- Last modified: February 6, 2026 at 3:14:47 PM UTC
- CVSS v3.1 base score: 6.4 — MEDIUM
Vector:CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Authentication / privileges / user interaction: Authenticated (requires low privileges). The CVE description specifies exploitation by users with Author-level access and above. User interaction is not required (UI:N).
- Primary impact: Confidentiality: Low; Integrity: Low; Availability: None
- Weakness (CWE): CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting)
Technical Details
The vulnerability is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) issue arising from insufficient input sanitization and output escaping for the plugin’s “Event URL” parameter. When an authenticated user with Author-level access or higher submits a crafted value for the Event URL, that value can be stored and later rendered without appropriate escaping. As a result, arbitrary JavaScript can execute in the context of pages that display the injected event data whenever those pages are viewed.
The CVE entry and provided references point to the plugin code handling event data (see events-listing-widget.php at the referenced line) where proper sanitization/escaping checks are not applied before output. The vulnerability is stored XSS — the malicious payload is persisted by the plugin and triggers on page view — and does not require the target to interact beyond visiting the page.
How This Could Impact Your Website
Consider a small organization that uses the Events Listing Widget to publish internal and public event pages. An internal staff member or external contributor with Author-level access could submit an event where the Event URL contains a script payload. When other users (site administrators, editors, or site visitors) view the event page, the injected script could run in their browsers. Practical consequences include targeted session hijacking or theft of data accessible to a logged-in user, modification of page contents seen by visitors, and increased risk of targeted phishing or social engineering based on information collected through the injected script.
The CVSS impacts indicate limited confidentiality and integrity loss, not guaranteed full site takeover. 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 of your setup.
Recommended Actions
- Update the affected plugin as soon as a patched version is available. (The CVE entry does not specify a fixed version.)
- Review and reduce unnecessary user roles and capabilities; restrict Author-level access to trusted users only.
- Enforce strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication for editors and administrators.
- Remove unused or unmaintained plugins to reduce attack surface.
- Monitor site activity and logs for unusual behavior, such as unexpected event submissions or changes to event content.
If you’d like help reviewing your plugins, user roles, or overall WordPress security posture, our team at Freshy is happy to help.
References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/events-listing-widget/tags/1.3.4/events-listing-widget.php#L266
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/events-listing-widget/trunk/events-listing-widget.php#L266
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3451446%40events-listing-widget&new=3451446%40events-listing-widget&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7f3b13a5-0711-4ad3-b11c-f8556e1ca9f9?source=cve
