CVE-2026-32986
Second-Order XSS in Textpattern CMS Atom Feed Enables Script Execution
Publication date: 2026-03-20
Last updated on: 2026-04-16
Assigner: VulnCheck
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| textpattern | textpattern | 4.9.0 |
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. |
| CWE-116 | The product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. As a result, the intended structure of the message is not preserved. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a Second-Order Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue found in Textpattern CMS version 4.9.0. It occurs because user-supplied input, such as the category parameter, is embedded into Atom feed XML elements like <id> and <link href> without proper XML escaping or sanitization.
Although the malicious payload may not execute directly in modern browsers when viewing the raw XML feed, it can execute when the feed is consumed by HTML-based feed readers, admin dashboards, or CMS aggregators that insert the feed content into the DOM using unsafe methods like innerHTML. This leads to JavaScript execution in a trusted context.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of trusted applications that consume the vulnerable Atom feed. This can lead to unauthorized actions such as stealing session tokens, performing actions on behalf of the user, or manipulating the content displayed in admin dashboards or feed readers.
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?
I don't know
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
I don't know