CVE-2026-12561: XSS (CVSS 6.4)

Description

The tagDiv Composer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the vc_raw_html shortcode in all versions up to and including 5.4.5. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the vc_raw_html::render() method, which base64-decodes shortcode content (after a strip_tags() that is bypassed because the encoded payload contains no tags on save) and concatenates the result directly into the page HTML. Because WordPress's save-time wp_kses_post() filter only sees the inert base64 text inside a normal shortcode bracket and does not decode it, the dangerous tags survive into post_content and are emitted unescaped at render time. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page (for example, when an Editor or Administrator previews the pending post).

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.4

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0018

Probability of exploitation

0.08%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

References

Other References

https://tagdiv.com/tagdiv-composer-page-builder-basics/ https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/48ae6e52-4a66-4676-9528-6f997ef54c7a?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-12561? +

The tagDiv Composer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the vc_raw_html shortcode in all versions up to and including 5.4.5. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the vc_raw_html::render() method, which base64-decodes shortcode content (after a strip_tags() that is bypassed because the encoded payload contains no tags on save) and concatenates the result directly into the page HTML. Because WordPress's save-time wp_kses_post() filter only sees the inert base64 text inside a normal shortcode bracket and does not decode it, the dangerous tags survive into post_content and are emitted unescaped at render time. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page (for example, when an Editor or Administrator previews the pending post). It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.4 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-12561? +

CVE-2026-12561 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.4 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0018, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-12561? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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