CVE-2026-116520
Received Received - Intake

Stored XSS in PPWP Password Protect Pages WordPress Plugin

Publication date: 2026-10-31

Last updated on: 2026-10-31

Assigner: Wordfence

Description
The PPWP – Password Protect Pages plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'comment / shortcode attribute desc_below_form (and placeholder as the marker-smuggling helper)' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 1.9.26 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page. This is exploitable by unauthenticated attackers because WordPress's comment_content filter leaves bare shortcode text (containing no HTML tags) untouched, and the comment_whitelist setting auto-approves subsequent comments from a previously approved name and email without administrator intervention.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-31
Last Modified
2026-10-31
Generated
2026-10-31
AI Q&A
2026-10-31
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-116520
EUVD
EUVD-2026-114579

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
buildwps PPWP – Password Protect Pages 0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-79 The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue in the PPWP – Password Protect Pages WordPress plugin. It allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages via the 'desc_below_form' parameter due to poor input sanitization and output escaping. These scripts execute when users access the compromised pages.

Detection Guidance

Check for the PPWP – Password Protect Pages plugin version 1.9.26 or lower. Inspect WordPress comments and pages for injected scripts in the desc_below_form parameter or placeholder attributes. Use WordPress admin panel to review recent comments and page content for unusual or malicious scripts.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, attackers can steal user sessions, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on their behalf. Website visitors may have their data compromised, and the site's reputation could be damaged. Unauthenticated access makes exploitation easier without needing user credentials.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to data breaches, violating GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health data privacy). Non-compliance may result in fines, legal action, and loss of trust. Stored XSS risks unauthorized access to sensitive user data, triggering regulatory penalties.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the PPWP – Password Protect Pages plugin to the latest version immediately. Disable the plugin temporarily if an update is unavailable. Review and remove any suspicious comments or scripts from WordPress pages and posts. Enable strict comment moderation and disable auto-approval for comments.

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