CVE-2026-12938
Received Received - Intake

Stored XSS in Newsletters Lite WordPress Plugin

Publication date: 2026-07-29

Last updated on: 2026-07-29

Assigner: Wordfence

Description
The Newsletters Lite plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the 'target' attribute of the [newsletters_post] shortcode in versions up to and including 4.15. This is due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping in the posts_single() function which propagates the attacker-controlled 'target' attribute into the global $wpml_target, and in the shortcode_posts() 'post_thumbnail' handler which concatenates $wpml_target into a target="..." HTML attribute without esc_attr(). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-29
Last Modified
2026-07-29
Generated
2026-07-29
AI Q&A
2026-07-29
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-12938
EUVD
EUVD-2026-50095

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
newsletter_lite newsletter_lite to 4.15 (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 Newsletters Lite WordPress plugin has a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in versions up to 4.15. It allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to inject malicious scripts via the 'target' attribute in the [newsletters_post] shortcode. The flaw occurs due to insufficient input sanitization and improper output escaping in the posts_single() function and the shortcode_posts() handler.

Detection Guidance

Check WordPress sites for the Newsletters Lite plugin versions up to 4.15. Inspect shortcode usage for [newsletters_post] with target attributes. Review user roles with Contributor access or higher for suspicious activity.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could inject malicious scripts into your WordPress site. When users access the infected page, the scripts execute in their browsers, potentially stealing cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive data. This could lead to account takeovers or unauthorized actions on behalf of users.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to data breaches, violating GDPR's data protection requirements or HIPAA's safeguards for protected health information. Organizations may face fines, legal penalties, and reputational damage if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Newsletters Lite plugin to the latest version. Remove or restrict Contributor-level user access. Audit shortcodes for injected scripts. Monitor pages for unexpected script execution.

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