Stored cross-site scripting (XSS) in WordPress block editor

Description

In WordPress before 5.3.1, authenticated users with lower privileges (like contributors) can inject JavaScript code in the block editor, which is executed within the dashboard. It can lead to an admin opening the affected post in the editor leading to XSS.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

1.6% · top 24% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.8.

Weakness

• CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-79 and its CVEs

Affected products

• WordPress · WordPress

  • affected < 5.3.1 – < 5.3.1

References (7)

• https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9976 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-pg4x-64rh-3c9v (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• https://hackerone.com/reports/731301 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• 20200108 [SECURITY] [DSA 4599-1] wordpress security update (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
• DSA-4599 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANx_transferred
• DSA-4677 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2019-16781](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2019-16781.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2019-16781)

Record last updated 5 Aug 2024, 01:24 UTC.