CVE-2026-2505
Received Received - Intake
Stored XSS in WordPress Categories Images Plugin via Shortcode

Publication date: 2026-04-18

Last updated on: 2026-04-18

Assigner: Wordfence

Description
The Categories Images plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in versions up to, and including, 3.3.1, via the 'z_taxonomy_image' shortcode. This is due to the shortcode rendering path passing attacker-controlled class input into a fallback image builder that concatenates HTML attributes without proper escaping. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts that execute when users interact with the injected frontend page via the 'class' shortcode attribute.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-04-18
Last Modified
2026-04-18
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-04-18
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-2505
EUVD
EUVD-2026-23672
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
category_images plugin to 3.3.1 (inc)
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

The Categories Images plugin for WordPress has a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in versions up to and including 3.3.1. This vulnerability occurs via the 'z_taxonomy_image' shortcode, where attacker-controlled input is passed into a fallback image builder that concatenates HTML attributes without proper escaping. As a result, authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher can inject malicious web scripts that execute when other users interact with the affected frontend page.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to inject arbitrary scripts into the website. These scripts can execute in the context of other users visiting the site, potentially leading to theft of user credentials, session hijacking, defacement, or other malicious actions. The impact includes loss of data integrity and confidentiality, and it may affect the trustworthiness of the website.

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access and above to inject arbitrary web scripts via a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw. This could lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of user data when interacting with the affected frontend pages.

Such unauthorized script execution can potentially compromise the confidentiality and integrity of personal data, which may impact compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR and HIPAA that require safeguarding user information against unauthorized access or disclosure.

However, the provided information does not explicitly detail the direct compliance impact or specific regulatory breaches resulting from this vulnerability.

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