CVE-2026-102905
Deferred Deferred - Pending Action

Arbitrary Shortcode Execution in Ad Inserter WordPress Plugin

Publication date: 2026-10-30

Last updated on: 2026-10-30

Assigner: Wordfence

Description
The The Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.19 This is due to the software allowing users to execute an action that does not properly validate a value before running do_shortcode. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes. Exploitation requires an administrator to have configured an ad block containing a dynamic tag such as {title}, {tag}, {category}, or {smart-tag} with display enabled on search pages, which is a normal and documented plugin configuration.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-30
Last Modified
2026-10-30
Generated
2026-10-30
AI Q&A
2026-10-30
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-102905
EUVD
EUVD-2026-114224

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
spacetime Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-94 The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes in the Ad Inserter WordPress plugin due to improper validation of dynamic tags like {title} or {tag}. Exploitation requires an administrator to have configured an ad block with such tags on search pages.

Detection Guidance

Check WordPress sites running Ad Inserter plugin versions up to 2.8.19 for unauthorized shortcode execution in search pages. Review ad blocks containing dynamic tags like {title}, {tag}, {category}, or {smart-tag} with display enabled.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could inject malicious shortcodes to perform unauthorized actions, steal data, or deface your website. Since it requires minimal user interaction, the risk is significant for unpatched installations.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or modification, violating GDPR (data protection) or HIPAA (health data privacy) if exploited. Compliance may be compromised due to potential data breaches.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Ad Inserter plugin to the latest version beyond 2.8.19. Disable dynamic tags in ad blocks or restrict their use to authenticated users only. Review search page configurations for suspicious shortcode executions.

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