CVE-2026-0557
Stored XSS in WP Data Access Plugin via wpda_app Shortcode
Publication date: 2026-02-14
Last updated on: 2026-02-14
Assigner: Wordfence
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| wp_data_access | wp_data_access | to 5.5.63 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| 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. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
The WP Data Access plugin for WordPress has a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in its 'wpda_app' shortcode in all versions up to and including 5.5.63. This vulnerability arises because the plugin does not properly sanitize or escape user-supplied attributes. As a result, authenticated users with contributor level access or higher can inject malicious web scripts into pages. These scripts execute whenever any user accesses the infected page.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability allows attackers with contributor or higher access to inject arbitrary scripts into WordPress pages. The impact includes the potential for attackers to execute malicious code in the context of other users' browsers, which can lead to theft of session cookies, defacement of the website, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of users, or spreading malware. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, it primarily affects sites where users have contributor or higher privileges.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
The vulnerability involves Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via the 'wpda_app' shortcode in the WP Data Access plugin for WordPress versions up to 5.5.63. Detection would involve identifying if your WordPress installation uses this plugin version and if any pages contain the vulnerable shortcode with malicious scripts injected.
You can detect the presence of the vulnerable plugin version by checking the installed plugin version on your WordPress site.
- Use WP-CLI to check the plugin version: `wp plugin list --format=json | jq '.[] | select(.name=="wp-data-access")'`
- Search your WordPress content database for the 'wpda_app' shortcode usage that might contain suspicious script tags: `wp db query "SELECT ID, post_content FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%[wpda_app%<script%'"`
Monitoring HTTP traffic for suspicious script injections in pages that use the 'wpda_app' shortcode could also help detect exploitation attempts.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'The immediate mitigation step is to update the WP Data Access plugin to version 5.5.64 or later, where the vulnerability has been fixed by improving input sanitization and output escaping.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': "If updating immediately is not possible, restrict contributor-level and above users from adding or editing content that uses the 'wpda_app' shortcode to prevent exploitation."}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Additionally, review and tighten user roles and permissions to limit who can inject shortcode attributes.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Consider implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block attempts to inject malicious scripts via the shortcode.'}] [2]